France President Emmanuel Macron warned that the European Union (EU) “will respond” to the United States if Donald Trump apply, as it threatened, taxes against the 27 countries of the bloc for the regulation of the digital market or the taxation of companies in the sector, the calls big techs.
“In case they are applied (tariffs), this will be a coercion and the Europeans will answer (…). We will be adamant on this topic and, in addition, there is a great Franco-German convergence,” the French president said at a joint press conference with Germany Chancellor, Friedrich Merz at the 25th Franco-German Council of Ministers, held at the Toulon Fort.
Macron warned that the EU “will not be threatened” in a matter to which skills are in national parliaments and the European parliament.
Merz, for his part, recalled that the EU has already accepted “an asymmetrical tax policy” with the United States and stressed that “it will not accept reprisals against Europe.”
During his press statement, Macron had assured that Paris and Berlin are “determined to defend the whole of Europe’s digital sovereignty” whatever the last statements “, alluding to Trump’s recent commercial threats.
In this sense, the two leaders indicated that the next European summit on the subject will be held in Berlin on November 18.
Trump threatened on Monday (25) to impose additional taxes and limit their chip exports to countries that do not eliminate their digital rates, which he considers that they harm American technological companies.
The US President has warned “countries with fees, legislation, standards or digital regulations” which, if they do not eliminate them, will impose “substantial additional taxes” on their US exports and will establish “restrictions on exports” from American technology and chips.
Trump had previously criticized countries that apply a digital service tax, such as Canada, which he pressured by breaking the commercial dialogue and that in June eventually reversed his intention to impose new rates on large US technology companies.
