PARIS/BRUSSELS: The European Union will answer tariff threats by the United States against France “as one” and urged Washington toward dialogue, an EU spokesman said on Tuesday.
“As in all other trade-related matters, the EU will act and react as one and it will remain united,” said EU commission spokesman Daniel Rosario after the US threatened tariffs on French goods on Monday.
The threat was in response to a French digital services tax that Washington says is discriminatory as it singles out US tech giants such as Google and Facebook.
French Finance minister Bruno Le Maire earlier said Tuesday that Paris would ensure a “strong” response in the event of US tariffs as an Internet-inspired tax and trade conflict heated up.
Le Maire told Radio Classique that threatened US tariffs on French goods such as sparkling wine, yogurt and Roquefort cheese were “inacceptable” and warned Washington that the European Union could generate a robust reply.
“We were in contact yesterday with the European Union to ensure that if there are new American tariffs, there will be a European response, a strong response,” Le Maire said.
