EU "should not hesitate" to use anti-coercion mechanism over US tariff threats: Macron

DAVOS, Switzerland: French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that the European Union (EU) "should not hesitate" to deploy its anti-coercion mechanism in response to the U.S. tariff threats linked to Greenland.

AI Brief

Macron said Europe must be more realistic in protecting its interests as global competition rises and multilateral rules weaken.
He criticised the US for new tariffs on European countries and warned that using trade pressure over territorial issues is unacceptable.
The comments came as Trump announced sweeping tariffs linked to his push to buy Greenland, prompting Macron to call for restraint and renewed diplomacy.

Macron made the remarks at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, arguing that Europe must become "more realistic" in defending its interests as global competition intensifies and rules-based governance weakens.

Addressing rising trade tensions, Macron criticized the United States for an "endless accumulation of new tariffs," describing the approach as "fundamentally unacceptable."

"Even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty," he said.

Macron urged renewed commitment to effective multilateralism, saying international law is being trampled and collective governance weakened, creating a world in which "the law of the strongest" increasingly prevails.

France holds the G7 presidency this year, Macron said, pledging to use it to promote frank dialogue and practical solutions, while calling on partners to avoid trade wars and protectionist escalation that "will only produce losers."

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States will impose 10-percent tariffs on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland starting on Feb. 1.

Those tariffs would increase to 25 percent on June 1, and would continue until a deal is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland, he said on social media.

Greenland, the world's largest island, is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to "obtain" Greenland.