French president shares his view on ‘powerful nations’ using tariffs
France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer (AP/Mark Schiefelbein) (AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron strongly criticized the use of tariffs by powerful nations, describing them as a form of "blackmail" rather than a tool for rebalancing international trade.
His remarks were delivered at the International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain, ahead of sensitive European Union-United States trade negotiations.
Macron condemned the current climate of trade disputes, stating that bringing back a trade war and tariffs is an "aberration," particularly when imposed on countries beginning their economic takeoff.
The French leader also called for a re-evaluation and strengthening of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to align its objectives with global efforts to combat inequality and climate change.
Macron's comments follow the imposition of sweeping global tariffs by Donald Trump, which the United Nations trade agency had warned could have a "catastrophic impact" on developing countries.
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