The Trump administration is eyeing a new trade deal with Iceland amid the U.S. trade war with China and tensions with Europe, officials tell me.
Why it matters: A potential deal isn't about Iceland’s economy, which offers little to the U.S. from a financial perspective. But the Arctic country is strategically located, and the president's national security team has emphasized the importance of investing in the region.
Between the lines: The discussions follow Denmark's blunt rejection of Trump's flirtations about buying Greenland. They also come at a time when China has sought to incorporate Iceland into the Belt and Road Initiative, and as Russia asserts its dominance in the Arctic Circle.
- "There is a national security importance to that region — being able to strike trade deals and build an alliance with us and not China or Russia," one administration official said.
- Remember, Vice President Mike Pence added Iceland as a leg on his recent swing through Poland and the U.K.
Behind the scenes: During a Senate GOP lunch last Tuesday, attended by Pence, Sen. John Kennedy strongly encouraged the administration to push forward with a free trade deal with Iceland, according to multiple senators in the room.
- Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski then gave a similar vote of confidence and said she would support such an agreement.
- Pence told them that there is a working group exploring a deal and that he is "amenable" to the idea.
I asked several other Republicans senators whether they would support a free trade agreement with Iceland.
- Most said the topic caught them off guard when it came up during the lunch, but that they're open to it.
Worth noting: Iceland has had a free trade agreement with China since 2014.
