Customs duties: Emmanuel Macron expresses his “strong disapproval” and calls on the EU to defend itself
Emmanuel Macron expressed France's "strong disapproval" on Saturday on X and called on the EU to "resolutely defend European interests" after Donald Trump threatened to impose 30% customs duties on EU products on August 1. The French president notably called on the European Commission to "accelerate the preparation of credible countermeasures, by mobilizing all the instruments at its disposal" if no agreement is reached by August 1 .
France shares strong disapproval with the President of the European Commission of the announcement of horizontal customs duties of 30% on European Union exports to the United States starting August 1.
This announcement comes after…
This content is blocked because you have not accepted cookies and other trackers.
Arguing that the EU had been negotiating with Washington for several weeks "on the basis of a solid and good faith offer" , the French president affirmed that it was "more than ever up to the Commission to affirm the Union's determination to resolutely defend European interests" .
"France fully supports the European Commission in the negotiations, which will intensify, to reach a mutually acceptable agreement by August 1, so that it reflects the respect that trading partners like the European Union and the United States owe each other for shared interests and integrated value chains," the head of state wrote.
The Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Laurent Saint-Martin, has put on the table the possibility of a "proportionate response" , particularly on American goods and services, if Brussels does not reach a "fair agreement" with Washington. "From Monday (July 14, editor's note) in Brussels with my 26 counterparts, I will be working to support the Commission in its negotiations with the United States until August 1," he added on X.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen , criticising the new tariffs announced by Donald Trump, said the EU still wanted to reach a trade agreement with Washington.
The US president, who also announced 30% tariffs on Mexico, justified his decision by citing the trade imbalance between his country and the EU. In 2024, the United States had a trade deficit of $236 billion (€202 billion) with the Union (up 13% year-on-year), which exported $606 billion worth of goods to the world's largest economy, according to figures from the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
La Croıx
