Macron called the move unjustified and urged swift countermeasures by the EU to protect its economic interests.

President Emmanuel Macron of France has strongly condemned United States president, Donald Trump's recent decision to impose a 30% tariff on European Union exports.

Macron called the move unjustified and urged swift countermeasures by the EU to protect its economic interests.

In a statement released Saturday, Macron expressed "very strong disapproval" of the new tariffs, which are set to take effect on August 1st and affect a wide range of goods from the European bloc and Mexico.

The French leader said the decision undermines months of good-faith negotiations between the EU and the U.S., and threatens to destabilise long-standing trade relations.

"Along with the President of the European Commission, France shares the same very strong disapproval at the announcement of horizontal 30% tariffs on EU exports to the United States from August 1st," Macron said.
"This announcement comes after weeks of intense engagement by the Commission in negotiations with the United States, on the basis of a solid offer made in good faith."

The French president emphasised the need for the EU to present a united front in defending its economic sovereignty, calling on Brussels to accelerate the development of credible and firm responses.

"With European unity, it is more than ever up to the Commission to assert the Union's determination to resolutely defend European interests," Macron stated.

"In particular, this implies speeding up the preparation of credible countermeasures, by mobilising all the instruments at its disposal, including anti-coercion, if no agreement is reached by August 1st."

Macron reaffirmed France’s full backing of the European Commission as talks intensify in the coming weeks.

"On this basis, France fully supports the European Commission in the negotiations, which will now intensify, to reach a mutually acceptable agreement by August 1st, reflecting the respect that trading partners like the European Union and the United States owe each other, with their shared interests and integrated value chains."

The U.S. announcement, made by Trump via social media on Saturday, marks a dramatic escalation in trade tensions with two of its largest trading partners. Trump justified the move by citing national security and the need to protect American jobs.

“We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, Trade Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies, and Trade Barriers,” Trump said.

He also announced tariffs against Mexico, stating that while the country had made efforts to curb illegal immigration and the fentanyl crisis, “what Mexico has done, is not enough.”

Trade analysts warn the move could trigger a new round of retaliatory tariffs and risk further deterioration of global trade rules.
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former director of the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, criticised the approach. “In the end, these are letters to other countries about taxes he’s going to levy on his citizens,” he said.

European Commission Vice-President and chief trade negotiator Maroš Šefčovič had earlier expressed hope that a resolution could still be reached in the coming days. But with the new tariffs now officially declared, pressure is mounting on EU leaders to act.

Saturday’s announcement brings the total number of countries targeted by Trump’s trade actions to 24, including the entire 27-member EU — raising concerns that the international trade system, already weakened in recent years, could be further upended.