COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The CEO of obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO ) and heads of other Danish companies met on Thursday with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to discuss preparations for a possible trade conflict with the United States over Greenland.
Frederiksen summoned business leaders after speaking on Wednesday with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who last week refused to rule out military or economic action to take control of Greenland, which is strategically important to Washington.
Trump has suggested he would impose tariffs on Danish goods if it resists his offer to buy the vast Arctic island, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
The Danish leader said Trump had not retracted his threats of economic coercion during the 45-minute phone conversation, in which she told him it was up to Greenland to decide its future and offered to do more to strengthen security in the Arctic.
"We don't want to have any kind of conflict with the Americans in the trade area, but of course we are working with the companies, with the business organizations and with our European colleagues," Frederiksen told journalists.
She said she had informed Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede ahead of the phone call with Trump, and that she had also spoken to Egede right afterwards.
"We're not preparing for specific things we don't know yet, but it has been hinted at from the U.S. side that there may unfortunately be a situation where we work less together than we do today," she added.
DISCUSSIONS WITH BUSINESS LEADERS
Frederiksen said she had emphasized in her conversation with Trump that Danish companies contribute to growth and jobs in the United States and that the EU and the U.S. have a common interest in increased trade.
The CEO of Danish obesity and diabetes drugmaker Novo Nordisk, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, will participate in the meeting, the company said on Thursday.
Novo, which competes with U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY ) in the fast-growing weight-loss drug market, makes the main active ingredient - semaglutide - in its popular obesity and diabetes injections Wegovy and Ozempic in Denmark, and exports it to the United States.
In the first nine months of 2024, Novo's U.S. sales totalled 115 billion Danish crowns ($15.86 billion), of which obesity drug Wegovy accounted for 31.1 billion.
Other participants in the meeting include CEOs of jewellery maker Pandora (OTC: PANDY ), toymaker Lego, brewer Carlsberg (CSE: CARLb ), wind turbine maker Vestas and offshore wind farm developer Orsted (CSE: ORSTED ), the companies said.
Shipping group Maersk said its executives were travelling and would not participate.
($1 = 7.2515 Danish crowns)