In France, several sectors of activity are found directly targeted by the recent threat of Donald Trump against Europe: imposing high customs duties on exported products to the United States.
Donald Trump should go to the end. Saturday, February 1, he announced the increase in customs duties of 25 % on products from Canada and Mexico and 10 % on those from China. Its three main business partners represent 40 % of imports in the country.
At the same time, the President of the United States said they wanted to impose customs duties on European products. Sunday February 2, theEuropean Union said “regret” such a decision, “harmful to all parties”, after the decree signed by Donald Trump about his three biggest partners.
Europe “will have to be respected”, assures Macron
“The European Union is firmly convinced that low customs duties promote growth and economic stability”, launched the European Commission, and “will firmly retaliate”, if it were the subject of customs duties ” unfair “. However, EU leaders have “at present”, not learned to set up new taxes from the world’s leading power against them.
This Monday, February 3, 2025, Emmanuel Macron took the floor on the subject on Monday. If Europe is “attacked”, it “will have to be respected”, assured the President of the Republic from Brussels, during a meeting, according to information from theAFP. “The recent statements in the United States are pushing Europe to be stronger and more united,” he said. Indeed, if the threats of Donald Trump were carried out, France could well pay the price, and this in very specific sectors.
Aeronautics and luxury on the front line
In the columns ofEurope 1Sylvain Bersinger, economist at Asteres indicates that the main threat that currently weighs on France concerns the aeronautical sector: “We sell, in the United States, many aircraft parts”. Also, “for the entire luxury and cosmetics sector, the main export market is the United States”. This is why a significant increase in taxes could be detrimental to France. In 2023, France pocked the tidy sum of $ 90 billion thanks to its exports to the United States.
“Wines and spirits, pharmacy and chemistry also export to the United States,” he continues. Please note, it is also important to recall that the United States represents less than 10 % of the total French exports abroad. This could give an advantage to Emmanuel Macron in his showdown potential with Donald Trump in the coming weeks, or even days.