Trump Is Now Threatening France With A 200% Tariff On Wines To Get Macron To Join His Board Of Peace
The US is the largest market for French wine and spirits, according to Reuters.
US president Donald Trump has now threatened French President Emmanuel Macron to impose 200% tariffs on France in response to Macron reportedly saying he does not want to join Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza.
The second phase of the “ceasefire” deal in Gaza by Trump includes Hamas’ disarmament, Gaza’s reconstruction and the creation of a committee of Palestinian technocrats to manage day-to-day operations in Gaza as well as the Board of Peace (BoP), which is supposed to oversee the governance of Gaza.
The BoP, which will be chaired by Trump, is expected to have approximately 10 Arab and international leaders on it, with an executive board attached to it.
Trump’s government has reportedly sent invites to about 60 countries to join the board, with a draft charter, calling for members to reportedly contribute US$1 billion in cash if they want their membership to last more than three years, according to Reuters.
A source close to Macron told Le Monde on Monday, Jan. 19, that France "does not intend to answer favorably" to the invitation, adding that the board's charter "goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza."
Late on Monday, when reporters asked Trump about his reply to Macron, Trump said that nobody wants Macron and that Macron “is going to be out of office very soon.”
“If they feel like hostile, I'll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes. And he'll join. But he doesn't have to join… But as you know, he's going to be out of office in a few months,” Trump added.
The US is the largest market for French wine and spirits, with shipments at US$4.4 billion in 2024, according to Reuters.
Trump then shared a private message from Macron on his Truth Social platform, in which Macron said he did not understand Trump's actions over Greenland and offered to organize a G7 summit in Paris.
A source close to Macron told AFP on Tuesday, Jan. 20, that tariff threats to influence France's foreign policy “are unacceptable and ineffective."
Cherry Mohamed
Sofia Hou
Sofia Hou
