The US president made the comment after hearing that President Macron did not intend to join his Board of Peace initiative
Tensions over threatened tariffs on French wine and Champagne continue
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French winemakers have reacted to US President Donald Trump’s most recent threat to impose 200% tariffs on French wines and Champagnes, calling his suggestion “tiring” and “reckless”.
Mr Trump made the threat after hearing that President Emmanuel Macron intended to decline his invitation to join his Board of Peace initiative.
It prompted Mr Trump to tell US journalists: “Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon. I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and Champagnes, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join.”
Mr Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs of 10% on eight European countries if they oppose his bid to acquire Greenland. He would impose the tariff on the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland from February 1, Mr Trump said, rising to 25% from June 1.
‘Exhausting’
Winemakers called the threats a “hammer blow” and said that the US leader was “reckless”, reports RMC-BFMTV.
“We never know if he’s messing with us. It’s exhausting,” said Nicolas, a wine exporter from Cahors. “People aren’t going to buy £50 bottles of wine. If it really doesn’t work anymore and he absolutely wants to surcharge everything, then we won’t work with them anymore and we’ll find other solutions.”
The exporter added that last year’s tariff threats had already caused sales of French wine to fall in the US.
Mr Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on French wines, and added a 25% tax to the industry during his first term after a dispute between US aircraft manufacturer Boeing and French-EU manufacturer Airbus (the tax was later suspended by President Joe Biden).
Tariffs on other goods have also been imposed in France and the EU, in retaliation for US tariffs on EU steel and aluminium.
Board of Peace amid Greenland actions
The Board of Peace is Mr Trump’s initiative to resolve international conflicts, with the US President stating that he would first address the situation in Gaza, before moving on to other areas. It has raised questions about Mr Trump’s commitment to the United Nations and NATO.
In another move, Mr Trump has also recently published a private message that he received from Mr Macron, in which the French president said he “did not understand” Mr Trump’s recent actions in Greenland (which he is attempting to annex, despite the island belonging to Denmark, an EU country).
The leaders are both due to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland this week, although Mr Macron is expected to return to Paris before Mr Trump arrives at Davos.
According to the private message sent to Mr Trump, Mr Macron had previously suggested setting up a meeting and a dinner with the US leader. It is not clear now whether the two will meet at all.
The EU is set to respond to Mr Trump’s actions in Greenland in the coming days, the president of the European Council said on January 18.
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