US to impose tariffs on European countries
Newshour
BBC
4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 January 2026
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Donald Trump says he'll impose 10% tariffs on eight European allies including Germany, France, Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands who are opposed to his plan to purchase Greenland. These would come into force from February 1st and remain in place until a deal is done on the autonomous Danish territory. Trump said the levies would go up to 25% from June 1st. The US president says the vast Arctic Island is critical to America's national security.
Also in the programme: We hear from Uganda's sports minister on President Museveni's re-election; and more reaction to the appointment of a Gaza "Board of Peace."
(Picture: US President, Donald Trump. Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:09.5 | Hello and welcome to News Hour from the BBC World Service live from London. |
| 0:13.8 | This is Owen Bennett Jones, and today President Museveni of Uganda has won a seventh term in office. |
| 0:24.1 | We'll speak to one of his ministers. And Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn't happy with President Trump's plans for the future of Gaza. |
| 0:30.5 | But we start the program today with developments in Greenland. |
| 0:39.3 | Well, that's the sound of anti-U.S. |
| 0:41.3 | And also in their Denmark, thousands gathered outside City Hall to protest |
| 0:47.3 | President Trump's plans to take over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. |
| 0:52.3 | This all coincides with a visit by a US congressional delegation |
| 0:56.4 | to Copenhagen, which includes Congressman Gregory Meeks, the Democrats most senior member on the |
| 1:02.3 | House Foreign Affairs Committee. Just before I spoke to him a few hours ago, President Trump |
| 1:07.7 | announced 10% tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, Netherlands and Finland. |
| 1:14.8 | What do they have in common? They were involved in deploying from about a dozen, dozens of troops, not many, but in a reconnaissance mission in Greenland in the last few days. |
| 1:27.1 | So, what does Congressman Meeks think of the tariffs? |
| 1:32.0 | I think that to give tariffs on our allies does not make any sense. |
| 1:37.8 | And that every country you just name are our closest and most important allies who works with us in a very cooperative |
| 1:47.4 | way who we depend upon for our own national defense and to then just to put retaliatory actions |
| 1:55.4 | on them because of the fact that when you talk about Denmark, |
| 2:01.6 | who has done and continues to work with us in every which way, |
| 2:08.0 | my trip here in Denmark today, |
| 2:11.0 | every official has said, |
| 2:13.2 | just tell us what you need for your national security. |
... |
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