US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose steep tariffs of up to 200 per cent on French wine and champagne after France indicated it may decline Washington’s invitation to join a proposed “Board of Peace”.
Trump’s sharp remarks came amid growing friction with Paris over the initiative, which was initially pitched as a mechanism to oversee the reconstruction of war-hit Gaza but whose scope, according to French officials, extends beyond the Palestinian territory.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the tariff threat was directed at French President Emmanuel Macron, adding that participation in the board was optional. “I’ll put a 200 per cent tariff on his wines and champagnes. And he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join,” Trump said.
The US president later escalated the row by posting on his platform Truth Social a private message he said he received from Macron. In the message, the French leader reportedly agreed with Trump on issues related to Iran and Syria but questioned Washington’s recent focus on Greenland. Macron also suggested a possible meeting with Trump and other G7 leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos and extended a dinner invitation.
US-France Tensions Intensify
Tensions intensified after Paris publicly mocked US arguments justifying Trump’s interest in Greenland, which is part of Denmark. France took aim at comments made by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who defended Trump’s position by citing potential future security threats from Russia in the Arctic.
In a post on X, France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs used sarcastic analogies to criticise the rationale, likening it to causing damage preemptively to avoid hypothetical future crises.
According to a report by Agence France-Presse, French officials have said Paris does not intend to respond favourably to the “Board of Peace” invitation, arguing that the proposal goes well beyond Gaza and raises broader geopolitical concerns.
Reacting to Trump’s tariff threat, a source close to Macron described it as “unacceptable” and “ineffective”, stressing that attempts to influence French foreign policy through trade pressure would not work.
The standoff underscores widening differences between Washington and Paris on Middle East diplomacy and Arctic security, even as both sides continue dialogue on other global issues.
