Denmark: Siltanews – News Desk
The Danish Minister for Business visited Houston this week to discuss investments in Texas and waste management in Houston. He says tariffs would damage Denmark-Texas relations.
Morten Bødskov, Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs in Denmark, visited Houston on Monday and Tuesday. His visit focused on renewable energy, waste management and Denmark-Texas business ties.
“Texas plays a huge role when it comes to Danish businesses,” Bødskov said, pointing to renewable energy and shipping as the top industries. “Houston is in many ways, so to say, at the center of all these activities.”
According to the Trade Council of Denmark in North America, trade between the two countries supported more than 14,000 jobs in Texas and 200,000 jobs across the U.S. as of 2022. Danish businesses with Houston-area operations include Grundfos, Ammongas, and Genan — a pump manufacturer, biofuel endeavor and tire recycling company, respectively.
Bødskov’s visit came during a period of strained relations between Denmark and the U.S.
President Donald Trump has called for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and one Republican congressman introduced legislation to rename the island “Red, White, and Blueland.” Leaders in Denmark have repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale, while Trump has threatened tariffs if Denmark does not cooperate — on top of potential tit-for-tat tariffs with the European Union, which counts Demark among its members.
“Tariff and taxes is not the right way to go,” Bødskov said. “We have through generations developed extremely close ties and bonds between Denmark and the U.S. I mean, we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have developed our businesses through generations. Some of the Danish world-leading companies are here and have been here for decades based on a mutual understanding on how we move forward, how we create growth, how we invest in each other.
“So, new taxes and tariffs — simply not the right way to go,” he continued. “My message is that we have to build a stronger relationship, not a weaker relationship. The world we’re living in now needs stronger relationships, and especially between Denmark and the U.S.”