If Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the White House, this Monday, February 24, was largely devoted to war in Ukraine, the French president also took advantage of his interview with Donald Trump to approach another sensitive subject, and plead the cause of the European Union in the face of the tide of new customs duties promised by the American leader.
Since the start of his second term, the latter regularly announces new taxes on products entering the United States, sometimes already entered into force (with China), sometimes pushed back to a later date (for Canadians and Mexicans. Donald Trump notably accuses the countries of the European Union – which exports more to the United States than the reverse – of behaving in a “unfair” manner with his country. Added value (VAT), paid by consumers in European countries, which he has assimilated to an additional customs duty on American products.
In Washington, Emmanuel Macron therefore tried to soften the mood of his counterpart towards the European block. “Our will is that there is fair competition”, “fair”, between “our industries”, “more fluid exchanges and many investments” on both sides of the Atlantic, A -Ali said at a common press conference at the White House. “I know your attachment to restoring the” United States’s commercial balance, he also said, slipping that France was in the same situation. The discussions will continue “between our ministers, our teams, to clarify the subjects which must be” on the commercial level, he added.
“Not the time”
“I hope I convinced him,” said the French president then in an interview with the American channel Fox News. “VAT [de 20 % en France, NDLR] is not a customs right, “he said in particular.” Now is not the time to increase customs duties, he continued. For what ? Because the urgency is to increase our defense and security expenses. How do you want us to do it if we are at the trade war? “
Emmanuel Macron also said on Fox News that he told his counterpart that the latter could not “conduct a trade war against China and Europe at the same time”.
On Monday, a bilateral interview also took place in Washington at the level of the finance ministers, the American Scott Bessent and the French Eric Lombard. The first, on this occasion, “underlined the importance of continuing the long transatlantic relationship between France and the United States”, according to a statement from the American administration.
“Unpredictability”
The threat of customs duties is even more tangible for direct neighbors of the United States: Canada and Mexico. During his press conference with Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump said that the customs duties he wishes to impose on them would be applied “according to the scheduled calendar”.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum hoped for her part, at a press conference in Mexico City, reaching an agreement before the end of the week to avoid seeing Mexican products surcharged from March 4. Donald Trump announced the establishment of customs duties of 25 % on all Canadian and Mexican products before turning around in early February, a few hours before their entry into force, granting a 30-day stay to the two countries.
“We have to be able to deal with the unpredictability of President Trump,” said Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly. “We must be aware that the threat of customs duties is real, and could last a moment,” she added, saying that she had “positive feedback from many American officials on what we have done” to answer The American requirement to better secure their common border.