Macron convenes emergency meeting over Trump tariffs: blow to key sectors
After the sharp increase in U.S. tariffs, Macron will urgently meet with affected industries and the government to discuss countermeasures.
Photo: Faces Of The World, CC BY 2.0
French President Emmanuel Macron will hold an emergency meeting today at 4:00 PM at the Élysée Palace with representatives of key export industries, reports Le Monde.
The reason for the meeting is the new protectionist tariffs introduced yesterday by U.S. President Donald Trump. The measures affect the French aviation and automotive industries, chemicals, agriculture, winemaking, and pharmaceuticals.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, High Commissioner for Planning François Bayrou, and several relevant ministers will also attend the meeting. The government is discussing emergency support measures for companies and possible actions at the EU level.
MEDEF President Patrick Martin called Trump’s actions “extremely dangerous for the European economy.” The EU intends to maintain dialogue with Washington but is already preparing countermeasures.
The situation has caused currency fluctuations: the U.S. dollar dropped sharply by more than 2.6% against the euro. Experts assess the consequences as the beginning of a new trade escalation between the U.S. and the EU.
It should be recalled that on April 2, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the introduction of a 10% tariff on all imported goods.
The decision was published on the White House website. Starting April 5, the base rate will take effect, and from April 9, for countries violating trade parity, tariffs will increase even further.
The goal is to protect American industry and reduce dependence on foreign imports. Exceptions apply only to strategically important goods.
The measures will impact global trade on a multi-trillion-dollar scale.
Earlier it was reported that France insists on a tough response from the European Union to the U.S. and proposes for the first time to activate the anti-coercion mechanism in case Donald Trump introduces new unjustified tariffs after April 2, including potential trade countermeasures.