The Finimize Daily Brief
The US President Threatened Eight European Nations With Tariffs, And China Hit Its 5% Economic Growth Target
20 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey, I'm Lana with your Daily Brief for Tuesday, January 20th. Coming up, the U.S. president threatened eight European nations with tariffs in a push to take over Greenland. And China hit its 5% economic growth target. But the country's broader scorecard was far from a bullseye. We'll also check in with Carl to get his answers to your burning questions.
More on the way, but first, a word from Guy at Finimize HQ.
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Chapter 2: What tariffs did the US President threaten on European nations?
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In case you missed it, the president has renewed his effort to take control of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory that's part of NATO. But Greenland's prime minister has made it clear that the territory doesn't want to be owned or governed by the states.
Over the weekend, the president threatened 10% tariffs on imports from Denmark, the UK, and six other countries that just sent troops to Greenland. Europe pushed back, warning of roughly 93 billion euro in retaliatory levies, and even floating the idea of shutting US companies out of key parts of the bloc's market. Everyone will be talking about levies this week. For one,
The president is set to attend the World Economic Forum in person for the first time since 2020, with talks likely to center on finding a diplomatic way out of this spat. And for another, the U.S. Supreme Court is due to rule on the infamous April tariffs, when the president reached for a never-before-used emergency law to roll out widespread duties. Investors are pretty used to tariffs by now.
Financial markets no longer lurch when there's a new threat, since traders know politicians will usually compromise on an outcome that limits the damage to trade. Still, investors aren't made of steel. They might not have completely panicked, but they did drive gold to a record high, snap up European defense stocks on the expectation of years of higher spending, and dump European automakers.
Any new tariffs could be nasty for their cross-border sales, after all. Before we dive into the next story, it's time for our daily check-in with Carl. You've got questions, he's got answers. Carl, what have you got for us?
Hey Lana, here's one from Paul in New York. He wants to know, what are circuit breakers? Why does trading sometimes just completely halt? Yes, so circuit breakers pause markets during extreme moves. They're designed to prevent panic-driven spirals. The goal is cooling off, not manipulation. Markets reopen once emotions settle slightly. Think of them as emergency breaks.
Thanks, Carl. Next up. China's economy grew around 5% in 2025, matching both last year's pace and the government's goal. But the details show the country riding pretty close to the lip. The Chinese economy only grew 4.5% in the last quarter of the year, its slowest pace since late 2022.
International shoppers are still placing orders with China's factories, which explains why industrial output rose by a better than expected 5.2% in December. But domestic buyers weren't as generous. Retail sales picked up by just 0.9%, the slowest since pandemic times, partly because a weak jobs market squashed budgets and confidence. The property sector is still a sore spot.
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