Investor interest in Greenland's mining has increased since Trump's threats, mining minister says

By Divya Rajagopal

TORONTO, March 2 (Reuters) - Investor interest in Greenland's mining industry has increased since U.S. President Donald Trump made repeated threats to annex the country, a senior Greenlandic official told Reuters on Monday.

The interest has come mainly from the UK, Canada and countries in the European Union, said Naaja H. Nathanielsen, Greenland's minister for business and mineral resources.

“On the investors' side, we did see an increase of interest in investments," she said.

Though Trump first expressed interest in buying Greenland years ago, the past two months have been "hectic," she said.

The Arctic island is an autonomous territory of Denmark that is strategically located and rich in minerals.

Trump stepped up his rhetoric about taking control of Greenland throughout 2025 and into this year. He said Denmark was incapable of protecting the territory from Chinese and Russian influence.

At this year's Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada mining conference in Toronto, which runs until Wednesday, Greenland brought a delegation of over 20 mining companies.

Benjamin Gallezot, France's interministerial delegate for ores and metals, said France was ready to take a minority equity stake in mining projects in Greenland to support their development.

Nathanielsen said Greenland was easing permitting and tax laws to encourage investments.

She disputed that Greenland faces a substantial risk from China, noting that only two Chinese companies hold mining licenses in the country and both of those are inactive.

“So that’s not a big success rate for Chinese investments," Nathanielsen said. She said that while China remains an important export partner for Greenland, she does not view the country as a threat.