EU Vows Retaliation Against US Tariffs, Says France
On Monday, the French foreign minister warned Washington that a trade war would break out and that the European Union would retaliate by copying any duties the US imposed on it. In an interview with TF1, Jean-Noel Barrot stated,
“There is no hesitation when it comes to defending our interests,”
Following US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Sunday, February 9, that Washington will consider imposing 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium products this week.
“Of course,” Barrot responded when asked if France and the European Union would take retaliatory action against the actions that Trump had declared.
It isn’t shocking. In 2018, Donald Trump already achieved this (during his first term as president).He stated;
“At that time we replicated. So we will replicate again this time”.
When asked what retaliatory measures would be agreed upon, Barrot said that the European Commission would determine which sectors would be attacked.
“No one has an interest in entering into a trade war with the European Union,” he warned.
Fears of a global trade war have been heightened by the US leader’s announcement of several trade levies, the most recent of which were taxes on imports of steel and aluminium.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, told CNN that the United States should not make the EU a “top priority” in response to Trump’s frequent threats to attack the bloc.
“Is your initial issue with the European Union? No, I don’t believe that. “You should concentrate on your primary issue, which is China,” he stated, adding that the EU has to be prepared to respond to US measures.
