Macron calls on EU to 'defend European interests' in US tariff talks
US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned that Mexico and the EU would be slapped with 30% tariffs starting on August 1, raising the stakes in already tense negotiations with two of the largest US trading partners.
Expressing France's "very strong disapproval" of the announcement, Macron called on the bloc to "step up the preparation of credible countermeasures by mobilizing all instruments at its disposal" if the two sides failed to reach an agreement by August 1.
"France fully supports the European Commission in the negotiation that will intensify to reach a mutually acceptable agreement by August 1, so that it reflects the respect that trade partners such as the European Union and the United States owe each other," he wrote on social media.
Earlier Saturday, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen hit out at the new tariffs threatened by Trump, but said the EU still sought a deal to avert the measures.
'Unfair deal'
Meanwhile, Mexico slammed Trump's latest tariff threat as an "unfair deal," according to a government statement.
"We mentioned at the table that it was an unfair deal and that we did not agree," the Mexican economy and foreign ministries said in a joint statement.
Mexico is already in negotiations seeking an alternative to tariffs that would protect businesses and jobs on both sides of the border, the ministries added, saying they hope to avoid the duties. President Claudia Sheinbaum, whom Trump often refers to favorably, expressed confidence Saturday that a deal would be reached.
"We are going to reach an agreement with the US government," Sheinbaum said during a public event hours after Trump's social media post announcing the elevated tariffs. She said the talks in Washington would allow Mexico to be in a "better position" by August 1.
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