Trump threatens 200% tariff on French wine, champagne after Macron rejects ‘Board of Peace’ invite
Trump threatens a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne after Macron rejects his ‘Board of Peace’ invite, escalating US-Europe trade and diplomatic tensions.
Trump tariff
US President Donald Trump has threatened a 200 percent tariff on French wine and champagne after President Emmanuel Macron declined to join his proposed “Board of Peace,” escalating trade pressure amid wider geopolitical and diplomatic tensions with Europe.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a steep 200 percent tariff on French wine and champagne after French President Emmanuel Macron signalled that France would not accept an invitation to join Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” intensifying trade and diplomatic tensions between Washington and its European allies.
Speaking on the issue, Trump said the tariff threat was directly linked to France’s refusal to participate in the board, which was initially conceived to oversee post-war reconstruction efforts in Gaza but has since expanded in scope. “I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes. And he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join,” Trump remarked.
A source close to Macron confirmed that France “does not intend to answer favourably” to the invitation, citing concerns that the board’s charter extends beyond Gaza and could conflict with established United Nations principles. French officials have expressed unease that the proposed body could function as a parallel institution to the UN, an organisation Trump has repeatedly criticised.
Trump has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was also invited to join the board, along with leaders such as Argentina’s Javier Milei and Canada’s Mark Carney. The US president aims to have the board’s constitution signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos later this week. Countries seeking permanent membership have reportedly been asked to contribute at least $1 billion.
The tariff threat against France is part of a broader escalation in US trade pressure on Europe. From February 1, the Trump administration plans to impose a 10 percent tariff on goods from several European nations, including Denmark, Germany, the UK, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands, unless Greenland is ceded to the US.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the approach, arguing that Washington cannot “outsource our hemispheric security,” while highlighting Greenland’s strategic importance and rare earth resources. He cited historical US territorial acquisitions to justify the administration’s stance.
French officials have pushed back strongly. Macron stated that “no intimidation or threats will influence us,” while France’s foreign ministry criticised Washington’s logic, warning against diplomatic overreach. The episode underscores Trump’s renewed use of tariffs as a geopolitical tool, linking trade measures directly to strategic and diplomatic objectives.
