Breaking News:Greenland row: France’s Macron urges trade ‘bazooka’ action against US tariffs; seeks activation of EU anti-coercion instrument– What Just Happened

French President Emmanuel Macron will ask the European Union to activate its powerful anti-coercion instrument if the United States goes ahead with imposing tariffs on European countries amid the standoff over Greenland, according to officials and media reports.Macron’s office said on Sunday that the French president would request the activation of the instrument on behalf of France, reported news agency AFP. The tool, often described as the EU’s trade “bazooka,” has never been used before but allows the bloc to curb imports of goods and services or restrict access to its single market in response to economic coercion.The move comes after US President Donald Trump announced fresh tariffs on Saturday targeting eight European countries, including France, over their support for Greenland. Trump said a 10 per cent tariff on goods from countries such as France, Germany, the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Finland would take effect from February 1, with the levy rising to 25 per cent in June unless “a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”Macron, who has described the tariff threat as “unacceptable,” has been in contact with European counterparts and will formally raise the issue at the EU level, Bloomberg reported, citing a person close to the French president. EU national ambassadors are set to meet on Sunday to discuss the bloc’s next steps.According to Bloomberg, the anti-coercion instrument allows the EU to respond to deliberate trade pressure by third countries through measures such as tariffs, new taxes on technology companies, curbs on investment, limiting market access or restricting firms from bidding for public contracts.The dispute has also cast doubt on the validity of the EU-US trade deal agreed last year. As per Bloomberg, Macron’s team believes Trump’s tariff plan over Greenland calls into question the deal, which has been partially implemented but still requires parliamentary approval.France’s stance has found backing among several European leaders. Germany’s vice-chancellor and finance minister Lars Klingbeil said “a line had been crossed,” while Denmark’s defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen called the move “unacceptable,” according to the Financial Times. Finland’s President Alexander Stubb warned that tariffs would “undermine the transatlantic relationship and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”Macron has also reiterated that Europe will not change its position on Greenland. “No intimidation or threat will influence us,” he said.The EU’s anti-coercion instrument, first adopted in 2023, was designed primarily as a deterrent against economic pressure. While some EU diplomats remain cautious about activating it, Sunday’s emergency talks are expected to shape Europe’s response to the tariffs, which several European leaders have criticised as coercive.