Trump Renews Tariff Threat, European Automakers' Stock Price Plunges

**January 19 – The long-running Greenland dispute remains unresolved amid escalating tensions, and President Trump has threatened fresh tariff hikes on European goods—sparking steep declines in European automaker stocks.** In early Monday trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) dropped up to 6.7%, BMW slid 7%, and Volkswagen fell 5.4%. Over the weekend, Trump unexpectedly announced plans to slap an extra 10% tariff on imports from several EU nations starting in February, rising to 25% in June—catching Germany, France and other EU countries off guard. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen all count the U.S. as a top source of revenue and profits. These brands import models like the Mercedes S-Class to the U.S.—vehicles already hit by Trump’s tariff policies. Currently, tariffs on most EU-imported vehicles and parts into the U.S. stand at 15%. Last year, Trump’s additional tariffs pushed this rate up sharply from around 2.5%, prompting automakers to issue profit warnings. (Jinse)