When U.S. tariffs shook global trade, Danish business leaders scrambled to respond. A new DR documentary shows how the sudden move from President Trump forced top executives to rethink prices, supply chains, and strategies overnight.
Tariffs hit Danish exporters hard
On an April morning, Gitte Kirkegaard, CEO of Logitrans in Ribe, faced a major test of leadership. Her company, which has built pallet lifters for over 85 years, relied heavily on the American market, bringing in roughly 35 million kroner annually from U.S. sales. Then came the news that President Donald Trump had launched a worldwide tariff campaign.
Almost instantly, the U.S. placed a 20 percent tariff on goods imported from the European Union and up to 80 percent on goods from China. For firms like Logitrans, which also produces in China, that news landed like a punch. It meant either raising prices or losing profit margins.
As seen in the DR series *Topdirektørerne III*, Kirkegaard met with her finance director, Kenneth Mulberg, to decide what to do. They settled on raising prices for their American customers by nearly 30 percent. The big question remained: Would the U.S. market accept it?
Markets react as tensions grow
The first days after the announcement were chaotic. Global stock markets turned red, and the S&P 500 index dropped close to 15 percent, wiping out trillions in market value. Danish companies watched their share prices fall in real time.
For Logitrans, the problem went beyond short-term losses. The company began looking at how to adjust production to reduce exposure to tariffs. Moving manufacturing from China to Denmark was one idea, even though it would raise costs at home. The changes could determine whether the firm could keep its foothold in the American market.
Kirkegaard’s challenge mirrored a broader issue across the Danish business community. The trade conflict created uncertainty just as companies were expanding abroad. It also fueled debate in Denmark about global supply chain stability and the future of transatlantic trade. The move came after the U.S. announced sweeping new duties, similar to the more recent U.S. tariffs of 30% on EU imports that Denmark and other European countries have strongly opposed.
Grundfos faces the same storm
In Bjerringbro, pump manufacturer Grundfos also had to respond quickly. As the world’s largest producer of water pumps, the company employs more than 20,000 people across 66 countries. CEO Poul Due Jensen said the company could not easily predict what the various tariff levels would mean for its finances or strategic goals.
The U.S. was one of Grundfos’s key growth markets. The management had plans for double-digit growth there, but the new trade barriers added fresh complications. Even a temporary pause in tariff implementation did little to calm nerves.
During a visit from Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, there was little reassurance. The minister was preoccupied with diplomatic tensions over U.S. interests in Greenland and admitted the government’s ability to push for export promotion had been limited. Grundfos’s hopes for stability were put on hold once again.
While Danish companies waited for a “new normal,” as Rasmussen put it, uncertainty lingered. Many exporters feared the situation could drag on for months or even years, hurting competitiveness in one of their most important markets.
Long-term challenges for Danish trade
For Danish executives like Kirkegaard and Jensen, the trade war showed how closely tied their businesses were to global politics. Overnight, pricing models, production plans, and market forecasts had to be rewritten. The shock reinforced the vulnerability of small open economies when major powers disrupt trade flows.
Even now, Danish trade policymakers remain alert to any signals from Washington or Brussels. With the memory of Trump’s tariff offensive still fresh, the situation underscores why Denmark continues pressing for strong EU coordination on trade and fair transatlantic rules.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Denmark Rejects US Tariffs of 30% on EU Imports
DR: Han gør alle mennesker fattigere: DR var med de første timer, da Trumps toldhammer ændrede alt
