EU has $8 trillion leverage over US as Trump threatens new tariffs

European capitals are weighing their response to President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat, this time tied to his controversial push to acquire Greenland.

While the White House has signaled duties of about 10% on eight NATO allies beginning February 1st, analysts warn the real battle may not be fought at the ports but in the financial markets.

According to Deutsche Bank, the EU collectively holds an estimated $8 trillion in US assets, making it Washington’s largest foreign creditor.

That immense exposure gives the bloc a “powerful lever” should tensions escalate into a full-blown trade confrontation, raising the prospect of capital flight and dollar rebalancing.

EU’s financial firepower in the Greenland dispute

In his latest report, Deutsche Bank’s senior strategist George Saravelos highlighted that the EU’s role as America’s biggest lender is often overlooked in trade debates.

With holdings in US bonds and equities nearly double those of the rest of the world combined, the continent has the ability to inflict real pain if it chooses to unwind positions.

“For all its military and economic strength, the US has one key weakness: it relies on others to pay its bills via large external deficits,” he told clients.

That reliance makes Washington vulnerable to shifts in European capital allocation. A Greenland-driven tariff war could accelerate withdrawals – echoing moves already seen from Danish pension funds last year.

Weaponizing capital markets, not trade flows

What makes this confrontation especially dangerous is the possibility that Europe could “shift” the battlefield from tariffs to finance.

Experts warn the bloc has the capacity to weaponize capital markets by restricting US companies’ access to EU liquidity or by rebalancing away from dollar-denominated assets.

Such moves would strike at the heart of America’s funding needs – disrupting treasury yields and undermining investor confidence.

Saravelos argued that “it is a weaponization of capital rather than trade flows that would by far be the most disruptive to markets.”

If Europe chooses this path, the fallout could extend well beyond Greenland, shaking Wall Street and global capital alike.

Capital markets brace for transatlantic turbulence

The wider concern isn’t simply tariffs on steel or autos but the ripple effects across global finance.

With the US net international investment position at record negative levels, the interdependence between European and American markets has never been greater.

Any significant rebalancing of dollar exposure could trigger volatility in currencies, equities, and bonds worldwide.

Saravelos cautioned that while the euro may not suffer as much as feared, investors should prepare for heightened uncertainty.

If the EU starts to weaponize its financial clout, the consequences may reverberate far beyond Greenland.

For Wall Street, the risk is clear: it would be capital, not trade, that becomes the frontline in this geopolitical standoff – should there be one.

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