【Wen/Observer Net Pan Yuchen, Editor/Gao Shen】According to reports from Deutsche Welle, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Reuters and other media outlets, the political and business circles of Germany, Europe's largest economy, have generally expressed anger over US President Trump's plan to use tariffs to pressure Denmark into selling Greenland, and have called on Europe not to yield to his demands.

Collective Protests from Politics and Business

On January 17, Trump announced that starting in February, a 10% punitive tariff would be imposed on countries opposing his control over Greenland, including Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, the UK, and the Netherlands; by June, the tariff would increase to 25%, until a deal for the purchase of Greenland is reached.

In response, the eight countries issued a joint statement on the 18th, stating that the tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and carry the risk of escalation. The eight countries will "unite to respond." In addition, the European Parliament is preparing to suspend the approval of the EU-US trade agreement.

German Deputy Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said that Germany must never yield to Trump and must not be coerced by him. Klingbeil stated that Trump's actions have crossed the line, and Europe must take a firm stance, remain calm but clear in its position, and noted that the German government is coordinating with EU partners to respond at the European level to the threat.

Trump, Oriental IC

Bernd Lange, Chairman of the European Parliament's Trade Committee, said that Trump's actions represent a "new dimension of American imperialism" and are an "incredible offense" to Europe. He emphasized that the EU must now clearly state its position and believes the EU may take countermeasures using so-called "anti-coercion measures," including tariffs, suspension of patent licenses, prohibition of participation in public tenders, and other measures.

Bertram Kawlath, Chairman of the German Association of Mechanical Engineering (VDMA), said that if the EU gives in on this issue, it will only encourage Trump to make "next absurd demands." He also emphasized that as long as Washington continues to pressure the EU with new punitive tariffs, the European Parliament cannot decide to reduce tariffs on the US.

Volker Treier, a foreign trade expert at the German Industry and Commerce Association (DIHK), said that Trump's "highly controversial political goals" are being linked to economic sanctions in an "unacceptable" way.

Hildegard Müller, Chairman of the German Automobile Industry Association (VDA), said that the additional tariffs Trump threatened to impose would incur extremely high costs.

Thorsten Groeger, of the German Metalworkers' Union (IG Metall), said that such trade policies from the US would produce no winners. They harm consumers, employees, and companies on both sides of the Atlantic, and are "poison" to any fragile hope for economic recovery.

Germany's Industry or Trauma Intensifies

For Germany, its export-oriented economy is slowly emerging from a two-year recession, but global trade tensions have put pressure on demand for its goods such as cars, machinery, and chemicals.

Trump's current tariff system imposes a base tariff of 15% on the EU, but a higher 50% tariff on steel and aluminum products. This has already placed a heavy burden on German companies, especially the European automotive industry. If tariffs continue to rise, Germany's export-oriented economy will face a particularly heavy blow.

From January to November 2025, Germany's exports to the US amounted to slightly more than 135 billion euros (about RMB 1.1 trillion), a 9% decrease, but the US remains Germany's largest export destination. According to Groeger, about 7.3 billion euros (about RMB 59.19 billion) worth of goods are exported to the US annually from Lower Saxony alone, accounting for more than 7% of its total exports. He said that if tariffs increase, the automotive, shipbuilding, and machinery manufacturing industries would be particularly affected.

The Volkswagen cars waiting for export at the port of Emden, Germany. Oriental IC

David McAllister, Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, once said that Greenland's sovereignty and self-determination were crucial and not open for negotiation. However, a union leader from Lower Saxony warned that higher tariffs could threaten the recovery of Europe's largest economy during a period of industrial slowdown.

According to estimates from Volkswagen Group, the cost caused by tariffs in 2025 could reach up to 5 billion euros (about RMB 40.54 billion). Additionally, other car manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and chemical group BASF have also suffered serious losses to varying degrees due to tariffs.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7597291932196373027/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.