An improvement in our process-based understanding of carbon (C) exchange in the Arctic, and its climate sensitivity, is critically needed for understanding the response of tundra ecosystems to a changing climate. In this context, we analyzed the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO<sub>2</sub> in West Greenland tundra (64° N) across eight snow-free periods in eight consecutive years, and characterized the key processes of net ecosystem exchange, and its two main modulating components: gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Reco). Overall, the ecosystem acted as a consistent sink of CO<sub>2</sub>, accumulating −30 g C m<sup>−2</sup> on average (range −17 to −41 g C m<sup>−2</sup>) during the years 2008–2015, except 2011 that was associated with a major pest outbreak. The results do not reveal a marked meteorological effect on the net CO<sub>2</sub> uptake despite the high inter-annual variability in the timing of snowmelt, start and duration of the growing season. The ranges in annual GPP (−182 to −316 g C m<sup>−2</sup>) and Reco (144 to 279 g C m<sup>−2</sup>) were > 5 fold larger and they were also more variable (Coefficients of variation are 3.6 and 4.1 % respectively) than for NEE (0.7 %). GPP and Reco were sensitive to insolation and temperatures; and there was a tendency towards larger GPP and Reco during warmer and wetter years. The relative lack of sensitivity of NEE to climate was a result of the correlated meteorological response of GPP and Reco. During the 2011 anomalous year, the studied ecosystem released 41 g C m<sup>−2</sup> as biological disturbance reduced GPP more strongly than Reco. With continued warming temperatures and longer growing seasons, tundra systems will increase rates of C cycling although shifts in sink strength will likely be triggered by factors such as biological disturbances, events that will challenge the forecast of upcoming C states.