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France’s Foreign Trade Minister, Laurent Saint-Martin, stated on Wednesday that a tariff war would be harmful for everyone, as tensions continue to rise between the European Union and the United States over US-imposed tariffs.
US President Donald Trump introduced a 20 percent tariff on European goods last week as part of his broader protectionist strategy, surpassing the 10 percent tariff he had imposed on most countries.
“We never wanted tariffs to escalate. We believe that a tariff war is harmful for everyone,” Saint-Martin told reporters in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The minister urged for discussions with Washington to resolve the issue, calling for a solution through dialogue. “Under the aegis of the European Commission, we must continue the work of dialogue and negotiation with the US administration to achieve the most positive agenda possible,” he added.
In response to Trump’s tariffs, the European Union implemented its first countermeasures on Wednesday, targeting products like soybeans, motorcycles, and beauty items.
However, Saint-Martin emphasised that retaliation against the US had “never been our agenda.”
On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed seeking a tariff exemption for cars and other industrial goods. Trump, however, dismissed the proposal, claiming the EU had been “very, very bad to us” and that the offer did not adequately address the trade imbalance.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed hopes on Monday that his US counterpart would reconsider the global tariffs.
Saint-Martin, who is in Jakarta ahead of Macron’s state visit next month, stressed the two nations “have a common future with converging strategic visions on major issues.”
The minister will continue his Asian tour with visits to the Philippines, Vietnam, and Japan.
