EU will respond to Trump's latest tariff announcement, French foreign minister says

Annual conference of French ambassadors in Paris

France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot delivers a speech during the annual conference of French ambassadors at the International Conference Centre of the French Foreign Affairs ministry in Paris, France on January 6, 2025. LUDOVIC MARIN/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo

Source: Pool

The European Union will respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariffs announcement, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday.

Barrot told TF1 television that France and its European partners should not hesitate to defend their interests in the face of the U.S. tariff threats.

Trump said on Sunday that he will introduce new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., on top of existing metals duties, in another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul.

Asked if France and the European Union will respond, Barrot said: "Of course... This is already what Donald Trump did in 2018, and we responded. We will again respond."

The European Commission will decide on the sectors that will be affected by a response, he added.

"It (the Commission) is ready to push the trigger when the time has come. Now this time has come. It is in no-one's interest to start a commercial war with the European Union," he said.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters