Paris:
France will fight back against any US tariffs on champagne, wine and other alcoholic drinks from the European Union, Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin said Thursday.
“We will not give in to threats,” the minister said on X after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 200-percent tariffs on wine, champagne and other alcoholic products from France and other EU countries.
France was “determined to retaliate”, Saint-Martin said.
Separately Thursday, the French association representing wine and spirits exporters (FEVS) said their interests were being “sacrificed” after the European Commission — which handles trade issues on behalf of member countries — imposed levies on US-produced whiskey.
“This put us directly into the crosshairs of the US president,” said FEVS boss Nicolas Ozanam.
“We are tired of being systematically sacrificed for issues that are unrelated to us,” he told AFP, calling on the EU Commission to “show realism”.
Trump called the EU’s 50-percent levy on US whiskey “nasty” and demanded their cancellation.
“If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.
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