The European Union will respond in kind to any tariffs imposed by the United States, Jean-Noel Barrot, the French Foreign Minister warned on Monday, cautioning Washington against triggering a trade war.
“There is no hesitation when it comes to defending our interests,” Jean-Noel Barrot said in an interview with TF1 after US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, February 9, that Washington will move this week to impose 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminium products.
Asked whether France and the European Union would retaliate against the measures announced by Trump, Barrot said: “Of course. It’s not a surprise. This is already what Donald Trump did in 2018” (during his first term as president).
“At that time we replicated. So we will replicate again this time,” he said.
When asked about potential retaliatory measures, Barrot stated that it would be up to the European Commission to determine which sectors would be targeted.
“No one has an interest in entering into a trade war with the European Union,” he warned.
The tariffs on steel and aluminum imports are the latest in a series of trade levies imposed by the U.S. president, sparking concerns about a global trade war.
French President Emmanuel Macron told CNN that the EU should not be a “top priority” for the United States, following Trump’s repeated threats against the bloc.
“Is the European Union your first problem? No, I don’t think so. Your first problem is China, so you should focus on the first problem,” he said, adding that the EU must be ready to react to US actions.
