Macron says China more problematic for Trump than EU
The French president has cautioned that imposing tariffs on the bloc will lead to inflation in the US. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Washington should shift its focus toward Beijing instead of pressuring its ally, the European Union (EU), according to French President Emmanuel Macron. He expressed a willingness to confront the United States if tariffs are imposed on EU goods.
In early February, President Trump stated his intent to impose tariffs on the EU, claiming the U.S. has been “treated so badly” by the bloc. He pointed out, “They do not take our cars, they do not take our farm products, essentially, they do not take almost anything. And we have a tremendous deficit with the EU,” illustrating his concerns.
During a CNN interview on Sunday, Macron addressed Trump directly: “Is the EU your first problem? No, I do not think so. Your first problem is China. So you should focus on the first problem.” He emphasized that Europe is a valuable ally for the U.S., urging that it would be counterproductive to threaten the European economies with tariffs if the U.S. desires greater European involvement in investment, security, and defense.
Macron pointed out that waging a trade war against the EU should not be a priority for Washington, especially amid other pressing global challenges. “We have to fix Ukraine. We have a situation in the Middle East. We have this competition between the US and China,” he noted.
He also highlighted the deep economic integration between the U.S. and the EU, stating, “if you put tariffs on a lot of sectors it will increase the costs and create inflation in the US. Is it what your people want? I am not so sure,” raising concerns about the potential impact on the American economy.
When asked about confronting Trump over tariffs, Macron replied, “I already did so and I will do it again. I think we should be ready to, obviously, be in the room and react.”
On the same day, Trump announced plans to implement new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., which would affect “everybody.” This followed earlier decisions to impose similar tariffs of 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% on those from China, attributed to issues including illegal immigration and drug trafficking. However, he later chose to delay tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days in exchange for commitments to bolster border security from both nations.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
In early February, President Trump stated his intent to impose tariffs on the EU, claiming the U.S. has been “treated so badly” by the bloc. He pointed out, “They do not take our cars, they do not take our farm products, essentially, they do not take almost anything. And we have a tremendous deficit with the EU,” illustrating his concerns.
During a CNN interview on Sunday, Macron addressed Trump directly: “Is the EU your first problem? No, I do not think so. Your first problem is China. So you should focus on the first problem.” He emphasized that Europe is a valuable ally for the U.S., urging that it would be counterproductive to threaten the European economies with tariffs if the U.S. desires greater European involvement in investment, security, and defense.
Macron pointed out that waging a trade war against the EU should not be a priority for Washington, especially amid other pressing global challenges. “We have to fix Ukraine. We have a situation in the Middle East. We have this competition between the US and China,” he noted.
He also highlighted the deep economic integration between the U.S. and the EU, stating, “if you put tariffs on a lot of sectors it will increase the costs and create inflation in the US. Is it what your people want? I am not so sure,” raising concerns about the potential impact on the American economy.
When asked about confronting Trump over tariffs, Macron replied, “I already did so and I will do it again. I think we should be ready to, obviously, be in the room and react.”
On the same day, Trump announced plans to implement new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., which would affect “everybody.” This followed earlier decisions to impose similar tariffs of 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% on those from China, attributed to issues including illegal immigration and drug trafficking. However, he later chose to delay tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days in exchange for commitments to bolster border security from both nations.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
