US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to impose sweeping 200 pc tariffs on French wines and champagne, a move widely seen as an attempt to pressure French President Emmanuel Macron into supporting his proposed “Board of Peace” initiative aimed at resolving Gaza and other global conflicts.
Speaking to reporters, Trump suggested the punitive tariffs could be used to push France into cooperation after it was reported that Macron expressed his unwillingness to accept the invitation to join the initiative.
The proposed body would initially focus on the war in Gaza before expanding to other international conflicts, raising questions about how it would interact with existing institutions such as the United Nations.
When asked about Macron’s reported reluctance, Trump responded dismissively. “Did he say that Well, nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon,” Trump said.
“I’ll put a 200 percent tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join,” he added.
Macron is scheduled to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday before returning to Paris later in the day. France is due to hold a presidential election in 2027, when Macron will step down after serving the maximum two terms.
The trade threat comes amid already tense transatlantic relations. Wines and spirits exported from the European union to the United States currently face a 15 percent tariff. French officials have been lobbying for that rate to be reduced to zero following a US-EU trade agreement reached last summer between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland.
Trump escalated tensions further with a series of social media posts, sharing screenshots of private messages from world leaders as he reiterated his desire for the United States to gain control of Greenland, an issue that has unsettled several allies ahead of his expected trip to Davos.
In one post, Trump published what he said was a private text message from Macron. In the message, Macron wrote, “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland,” while noting that the two leaders were aligned on issues such as Syria and Iran. Macron also proposed arranging a post-Davos meeting with G7 leaders and invited Trump to dinner in Paris.
Trump also shared a screenshot of a message purportedly from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, praising Trump’s leadership and expressing commitment to “finding a way forward on Greenland.” Earlier, Trump said he had a “very good telephone call” with Rutte and agreed to meet “the various parties” in Davos.
