Denmark's trump card against US's Greenland threat: Weight-loss drug

If US President Donald Trump is indeed serious about his threat to acquire Greenland, the autonomous Danish territory, it may well affect the weight-loss journey of millions of obese Americans. Puzzled? The equation is simple. Denmark, despite having a population smaller than New York, has several trump cards up its sleeve, with the foremost being curbing or halting the exports of the popular weight-loss drug Ozempic and kids' favourite Lego toys.

Ever since Trump won the US presidential election, the Republican has on several occasions floated the idea of buying Greenland. He has only escalated the pitch after taking over as US President last month, threatening punitive tariffs and even hinting at military action to take control of the strategically important island. However, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, in a fiery phone call with Trump, made it clear that Greenland was "not for sale", the BBC reported.

DENMARK TARIFF THREAT MAY HURT WAISTLINES OF AMERICANS

The issue has threatened the possibility of an all-out trade war between the US and its NATO ally. However, it may turn out to be a pain in the waistlines of millions of Americans.

In the past two years, the drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, made by Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk, have revolutionised obesity and diabetes treatment in the United States - which has one of the highest obesity rates in the world. In fact, CDC data shows that in 23 American states, more than one in three adults (35%) has obesity.

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has revealed that between 2021 and 2023, the number of Ozempic prescriptions in the US has jumped by 400 per cent.

In the backdrop of this, if Trump does go on with steep tariffs on Denmark, it could jack up the prices of Ozempic and Wegovy. Presently, Americans have to shell out nearly $1,000 for each packet of Ozempic (without discounts or insurance). For Wegovy, it is $1,300 per package. The price of the drugs is already higher in the US than in other countries.

Additionally, data by Trading Economics shows that the US imported medicines, vaccines and antibiotics worth $5.7 billion from "pharma state" Denmark in 2023. Even if the US wants to make such drugs from scratch, it doesn't have the resources as the active ingredient for Ozempic and Wegovy, called semaglutide, is made in Denmark.

The widely popular Lego Group, the world's largest toymaker, is also based in Denmark. Besides, Denmark is also the leading supplier of hearing aids to America.

Thus, even if Trump decides to go on with his tariff threats, there is no shortage of economic leverage for Denmark to hurt the United States.