HIGHWAYMAN Trump has spelt it out that a 10% tariff is to be imposed on all UK goods sent to the USA from Britain and its other European allies from February 1st!
This levy is to rise to 25% on June 1st, unless the UK and other European countries agree to allow him to take the ownership of the Danish territory of Greenland.
Last night, UK PM Sir Keir Starmer merely said that he will be ‘pursuing this directly with the US administration’. However, his French counterpart described Trump’s tariffs as unacceptable and said ‘no intimidation nor threat will influence us’.
Trump’s move will force Starmer to either accept the consequences of the international trade war or to cede land ‘belonging to a NATO ally’ Greenland, threatening the future of the security alliance.
Already, Sweden’s PM commented yesterday that: ‘We will not let ourselves be blackmailed. Only Denmark and Greenland decide on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland.’
EU ambassadors were to hold an emergency meeting yesterday afternoon. The UK government, meanwhile, said that only Greenland can decide its future.
Economists were also warning yesterday that the new tariff rises could push Britain into a major recession if they were kept in place long term.
Trump, however, threatened that: ‘This tariff will be due and payable until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland.’
Along with the UK, the tariffs also apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland.
These countries this week agreed to carry out a joint reconnaissance mission on the Arctic island in a show of strength against the USA. Britain employed one military officer in the course of the operation.
Britain is now under pressure to ‘step up’ and Trump is said to be wondering why Britain is not stepping up to get the deal done with the US acquiring Greenland.
PM Starmer, however, said: ‘Our position on Greenland is clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes.’
He continued: ‘We have also made it clear that Arctic security matters for the whole of NATO and all its allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across the different parts of the Arctic.’
It is crystal clear that the US, EU and UK ruling classes are absolutely desperate to get their hands on the enormous oil wealth of the Arctic.
The Trades Union Congress of the British trade unions is standing idly by and just watching the ‘Oil War’ that is beginning to emerge, with former NATO allies bent on turning on each other to further their struggle to get hold of the oil wealth of the Arctic, at the expense of the US, UK and EU workers.
The TUC must be made to call a special TUC Congress immediately to discuss the massive catastrophe that is emerging as the major oil companies and their political masters struggle to grab the oil wealth at the expense of the working people of the world.
In fact, the TUC must be made to mobilise for a massive general strike to bring down the Labour government and bring in a workers government.
It must also organise a Special Congress to include all TUC trade unions and send out invitations to the trade union movement internationally to attend, so that policies to satisfy the working people of the world are adopted.
The trade unions must be prepared to take general strike actions to bring down capitalist governments and bring in workers governments that will use the oil wealth to benefit the working people of the planet.
Backward capitalism must be dumped into the dustbin of history and be replaced by a worldwide planned and nationalised economy whose motto will be: ‘From each according to their ability, to each according to their need. Now is the time to join the WRP and the Young Socialists, and build sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International worldwide. Forward to the World Socialist Republic!