French President Macron aims for a respectful but firm discussion with Trump over threatened 100% tariffs on French wine.
EVIAN-LES-BAINS: France’s President Emmanuel Macron said Monday he wanted to have a “respectful but firm discussion” with Donald Trump after the US leader threatened to slap a 100% tariff on French wine.
Ahead of a G7 summit at the French resort of Evian-les-Bains, Trump reportedly threatened to impose a 100% levy on French wine and champagne unless Paris removed a digital services tax on tech firms.
“We will have a respectful but firm discussion,” Macron told TF1 as he prepared to host Trump and other leaders at the summit on the shores of Lake Geneva.
“Tariffs don’t do anyone any good, especially tariffs between G7 countries,” Macron said, calling for trade “stability”.
France imposed in 2019 a 3% levy on the revenues earned by technology firms — including US giants such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google’s parent company Alphabet — within the country’s borders.
“This digital tax was decided by Europeans. Several countries have implemented it. It is part of our law,” Macron said.
“It is not up to the United States to decide on the laws of Europeans, nor of the French,” he added.
Trump’s G7 stay will begin with talks with Macron from 1500 GMT, followed by a working dinner with all the participants.
Gabriel Picard, president of the French Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters (FEVS), called Trump’s latest threat “bad news”.
