Digging Up Greenland – by Sam Lowe

Greenland is within the information.

That is nice for me (if much less so for Greenland, on this occasion) as a result of, as I’m keen on mentioning, in contrast to most individuals on the planet, I’ve really been to Greenland [see the photo above].

From a Trump perspective, the incoming President’s obsession with Greenland makes some sense from an financial safety/provide chain diversification perspective.

Greenland does certainly have numerous important minerals:

However I do surprise if individuals have given a lot thought as to what extracting these minerals requires.

To present two anecdotal examples from my expertise there:

In 2013, I used to be requested to conduct advocacy-focused analysis for a small UK charity on Greenland’s mining coverage, particularly in relation to rubies. Greenland has a small assortment of artisanal miners who had fallen out with the federal government after it granted a concession to a Canadian mining firm and, on the identical time, restricted entry to one of many actually good ruby deposits. This led to numerous beef, protests, arrests, locals being chased off the concession by armed police, and many others.

A giant supply of the issue is that Greenland doesn’t [or at least didn’t; this might have changed in subsequent years] usually recognise personal land rights. In any case of this drama, the industrial mine folded in 2023.

Anyhow, for the aim of this article, the primary level is that there was beef with the locals. [If you’re interested in the full story, I’ve managed to dig out my report here.]

On the identical time, the primary matter of native dialog was a a lot greater iron ore mining concession.

In 2013, an organization referred to as London Mining (now gone bust) was granted a 30-year exploitation license to dig up iron from the Isua Iron Ore mine on the sting of Greenland’s ice cap.

This mine was massively unpopular with the individuals I spoke to. The explanations given:

• For the mine to function, the corporate would want to rent hundreds of international labourers. Given Greenland’s inhabitants of round 57,000, this may be a big cdemographic change.

• London Mining deliberate to move the ore from the mine to a port utilizing a pipeline, which might traverse fjords and different pristine areas. Whereas the corporate stated there could be no leaks, there are by no means no leaks. The danger of environmental harm was excessive.

Anyhow, this by no means ended up occurring.

My admittedly anecdotal conclusion is that if an organization or nation really desires to take advantage of the pure sources of Greenland, they’d in all probability must

• Ignore the needs of plenty of locals and indigenous individuals

• Import hundreds of international labourers

• Be snug decimating areas of pristine pure magnificence

Which … y’know … some individuals may need an issue with.

Staying with regards to Greenland, Trump has threatened to tariff Denmark if it doesn’t give him Greenland.

I’ve seen some feedback on the web suggesting that is additional proof he’s nuts as a result of doesn’t he know that Denmark is a part of the EU and the EU widespread industrial coverage means commerce is an EU competence and he can’t simply single out Denmark?

My facetious response to this kind of argument is one thing like, “If Trump desires to use tariffs to some member states and never others what precisely is it you suppose the EU can do to cease him?”

My extra critical reply is that Trump has two choices if he desires to use tariffs to some member states and never others. He may …

• Apply tariffs to the entire EU, however decide issues which might be predominantly exported from Denmark, comparable to pork sausages. That is certainly what the EU did when it, for instance, utilized tariffs to US enjoying playing cards in response to Trump’s metal and aluminium tariffs. The tariff was US-wide, however in actuality primarily hit a enjoying card manufacturing facility in Kentucky, then speaker of the home Mitch McConnell’s state.

• Apply a load of tariffs and simply goal Danish-originating merchandise. There’s fairly a little bit of precedent for the US targetting particular member states with tariffs, for instance within the context of the Boeing-Airbus dispute when French, German and Spanish merchandise had been hit with tariffs, or the presently suspended tariffs on Austria, Italy and Spain in response to their digital companies taxes.

When you perceive this, it does, after all, increase different questions. Doesn’t this imply that Trump may exempt some EU member states and never others from any future tariffs if they offer him one thing he desires? Effectively, sure.

And whereas the EU as a collective entity falls foul of Trump’s intense hostility in direction of these nations/territories that persistently promote extra to the US than they purchase, at a member-state degree, there’s a good bit of variation.

Digging out my MAGA index [reminder: above 0 means Trump hates you; below 0 means you’re not on his shit list, at least not for this], you’ll be able to see that some member states are naughtier than others:

To place it one other manner, Luxembourg, Cyprus, the Netherlands, and Belgium have fairly completely different tales to inform on persistent commerce surplus/deficits than Slovakia, Slovenia, Eire, Estonia and Austria.

One of many main indicators that issues aren’t fairly proper on the planet is that journalists begin calling me.

On that be aware, do hearken to me, Duncan Weldon, David Henig and Meredith Crowley focus on Trump’s tariffs on BBC Radio 4’s The Briefing room HERE.

The UK’s Commerce Cures Authority is on the lookout for a brand new CEO. Should you suppose you’ve bought what it takes, you’ll be able to apply HERE.

Finest,

Sam