Washington, DC: In a dramatic escalation, President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne.
The move, announced on Monday, serves as an ultimatum aimed at French President Emmanuel Macron’s intentions to decline his invitation to join a U.S.-led “Board of Peace”.
The U.S. leader leaked a private message with Emmanuel Macron in a Truth Social post, which revealed the French leader’s confusion regarding the U.S. push to acquire Greenland.
President Trump expressed frustration over reports that President Macron intended to decline an invitation to join the newly formed Board of Peace. The board is a central pillar of Trump’s 20-point plan to resolve the conflict in Gaza.
“I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wine and champagne, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join,” Trump stated while referring to Macron. He dismissed Macron’s doubt, suggesting the French leader would “be out of office very soon” anyway. The threat sent shockwaves worldwide, causing gold prices to surge to record highs as investors braced for a renewed trade war.
Trump later turned to Truth Social to leak a private message where Macron admitted the two were ‘totally in line’ on Iran and Syria but questioned Trump’s acquisition on Greenland.
The French president offered to meet Trump and other G7 leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, noting he could also invite Ukrainians, Danes, Syrians and Russians. He also offered to take Trump out to dinner on Thursday.
The development came that France “does not intend to answer favourably” to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ invitation. France also mocked the U.S. push for Greenland.
In a post on X, the official account of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs mocked Scott Bessent’s justification of Trump’s move arguments by comparing them to ‘eating the lifeguard now’ to prevent a shark attack that might occur someday.
The standoff comes as Trump has also leveraged tariff threats against other European allies, including Denmark and Sweden, over his interest in the acquisition of Greenland.
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