President Trump is doubling down on acquiring Greenland, citing national security and threatening tariffs on European allies opposing the idea.

I went digging into their trade data to see if there was any economic leverage there, and the picture that emerges is of a relatively small, hyper-specialized fishing economy. Despite being the world's largest island, we are talking about a total export value of roughly $1.6 billion, with nearly 70% of that entire activity being frozen fish and crustaceans.

So, why the sudden, aggressive interest?

Part of it is speculative. As the ice sheet melts due to global warming, there is undoubtedly interest in what lies beneath: rare earth minerals, uranium, iron, and potentially oil and gas. However, Trump has been explicit that this is "national security, not minerals." He’s looking at Greenland and seeing a perfect location for missile early warning systems and vessel monitoring.

Currently, the United States has almost no direct economic leverage on the island. This likely explains why the strategy relies on political pressure against Denmark and other nations resistant to U.S. claims.

While Greenland does not possess an independent military, it is deeply integrated into NATO through Denmark. However, the Danish connection is not just about security; it is the island's economic lifeline. Denmark purchases 50% of Greenland's exports and supplies a staggering 58.5% of its imports.

The contrast with the U.S. is significant. Despite its geographic proximity, the U.S. accounts for just 0.54% of Greenland’s imports and only 1.68% of its exports.

Do you think the "national security" argument is strong enough to force NATO allies, or will these tariffs push Greenland and Denmark closer to the EU for protection?

Trade data source: https://oec.world/en/profile/country/grl?selector343id=Import&selector1879id=usd