Kill tech tax or face wine tariffs, Trump tells France
President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will have no choice but to impose a 100 percent tariff on French wine unless Paris repeals its digital tax on American tech giants.
Trump said he delivered the warning directly to French President Emmanuel Macron, demanding that he lift a three percent tax on US tech giants or face duties on the American market.
“I asked him not to charge American companies, and if they do that, I have no choice but to impose a 100 percent tariff on all champagne and wine coming out of France,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post.
“All Macron needs to do is get rid of the sales tax so he doesn’t face that kind of pressure.”
White House and Elysee officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Exports to the US account for around a fifth of the French wine industry’s total global sales, at around US$2 billion ($A2.8 billion) annually.
Alcohol is among the EU’s largest exports to the US, worth around US$10.46 billion in 2024, according to Eurostat data, and certain products, such as Remy Martin cognac and champagne, must be produced in certain European regions.
France has imposed a three percent tax since 2019 on revenues from digital services for companies with revenues of more than €25 million (A$41 million) domestically and more than €750 million worldwide.
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