French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that imposing US tariffs on Europe would drive up inflation for Americans, as he pledged to push back against any financial threats from Donald Trump.
In an interview aired on CNN on Sunday, Macron argued that the European Union should not be a top priority for the United States, urging Washington to focus on China instead. Trump has previously ordered tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China and has repeatedly hinted at targeting the EU.
Macron cautioned that while tariffs would harm European economies, they would also impact the US due to deep economic ties between the regions.
“If you put tariffs on a lot of sectors, it will increase the costs and create inflation in the US. Is it what your people want? I’m not so sure,” he said.
When asked whether he was prepared to confront Trump on tariffs, Macron responded, “I already did so, and I will do it again.”
While vowing to react to any US-imposed tariffs, Macron emphasized that Europe’s primary goal should be strengthening its competitiveness, defence, security, and artificial intelligence sectors.
“If in the meanwhile, we have a tariff issue, we will discuss them and we will fix it,” he concluded.
