Trade war announcement

Macron threatens Trump: “Must not be weak”

Macron visited Trump in the Oval Office this week.(Bild: AFP/LUDOVIC MARIN)

A new trade war is brewing: French President Emmanuel Macron is moving forward and threatening US President Donald Trump with retaliation if he makes good on his threats.

In response to announced tariffs of 25 percent on imports of aluminum and steel, Macron is holding out the prospect of European countermeasures. "If they are confirmed, the Europeans will respond," he said during a state visit to Portugal. "So there will be corresponding tariffs, because we have to protect ourselves, we have to defend ourselves."

"If at the beginning of April, as announced, tariffs are imposed on European products at this level, the Europeans will have to respond, because we cannot be weak in the face of these measures," Macron said at a press conference in Porto.

Macron: We must respond
"So what we have to achieve in the next few weeks is to convince that this is generally not a good decision for our geopolitical interests, which are shared by the US and the Europeans, and that it would be bad for everyone," Macron said.

"But if it comes to that, we will have to react and we will take responsibility for it," the French President continued.

The EU had already reacted to the announcement of special US tariffs on aluminum and steel two and a half weeks ago. Unlawful tariffs to the detriment of the EU would not go unanswered - they would result in decisive and proportionate countermeasures, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had announced. The EU would defend workers, companies and consumers in the EU.