Towns and villages in east Greenland could receive goods and materials sooner from Iceland than from Greenland’s own capital city. Such is the conclusion of The West Nordic Council, which was reported by the Greenlandic newspaper, Sermitsiaq.
The article explains that the main problem with more remote towns and villages in east Greenland is accessibility. Some towns only see supply ships every few months. This leads to communities using building materials and food sparingly, which also naturally leads to higher prices for these goods.
Municipal authorities in Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormit believe that ordering goods from Iceland instead would provide more flexibility, more available resources, and thus lower prices in the community. In addition, such a trade agreement would help strengthen the ties between the two countries.
The problem standing in the way, RÚV reports, is that the shipping company Royal Arctic Line holds exclusive rights to transport of materials in the area. It is additionally unclear how trade law would work in this instance, as Greenland is still under the Danish crown.
Transportation is a big problem in Greenland, as most municipalities are only accessible to each other by sea or air, and the country itself lacks many of the raw materials necessary to maintain the country.