EU should learn from Trump’s tariffs not ‘get angry,’ French trade chief says

PARIS — The European Union should stop raging at Donald Trump and learn its lessons from the U.S. president’s saber-rattling on tariffs, France’s trade minister told POLITICO.

“The European Union, the European countries, should not get angry at America’s positions, but should try to better understand America’s logic — which, by the way, began well before Donald Trump,” Nicolas Forissier said in an interview on Thursday. 

Forissier, who said riding a Harley-Davidson motorbike down the iconic Chicago-to-California Route 66 highway had given him a feel for American culture, argued Trump’s approach should motivate the EU to fix its own shortcomings. 

The U.S. president’s erratic trade policy, along with a glut of Chinese exports, has triggered deeper reflection within the 27-nation bloc about how to regain industrial competitiveness — including by diversifying trade partners, cutting red tape for businesses, and rewriting public procurement rules to include a “Made in Europe” preference. 

“It’s also a way of asking us to take responsibility, to step out of our comfort zone. Before criticizing or getting angry at each other, we need to look at what we haven’t done well and where we can improve,” the 65-year-old minister added.

The U.S. Supreme Court last week struck down the “reciprocal tariffs” that had underpinned the trade deal Trump struck with the EU at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland last July. Despite the ruling, the European Commission wants to finalize ratification of the deal, which is now stuck in the European Parliament.

Forissier convened G7 trade ministers for a virtual call on Monday, at which U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer made it clear that Washington was aiming to reinstate the tariffs that were struck down via other legal tools. Greer has also said that the U.S. wants to stick to the terms of deals it has already struck.

“The European Parliament’s wait-and-see approach and suspension of the vote is quite logical,” Forissier said. “It’s now up to the Americans to clarify things, to calm things down. I don’t think it’s in the United States’ interest to take a stance of high tariffs, toughening measures.”

Holding the (15 percent) line

Forissier, a veteran who hails from the conservative Les Républicains party, said the EU should focus on strengthening its own foundations, also by building a real capital markets union.

“That may also enable us to provide concrete answers to the questions raised by Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta. Because we know full well that the European Union really needs to make a huge investment effort, particularly in innovation,” Forissier said, referring to landmark strategy recommendations from the two former Italian PMs. 

“Basically, the Americans are doing us a favor by forcing us to take action, make decisions, and step outside our comfort zones or areas of uncertainty that suited us just fine.”

Forissier’s comments were a departure from the usually more hawkish French position toward Washington. As recently as January, President Emmanuel Macron called for the EU to use its strongest trade weapon in response to Trump’s threats to annex Greenland. 

France has been the fiercest supporter of making the EU economically less dependent on the rest of the world, with Macron for years pushing for more public investment in the EU economy and for more trade defense and “Made in Europe” measures to ensure European firms can compete with their Asian and U.S. rivals. 

The trade minister stressed that the deal with Washington — which foresees an “all-inclusive” tariff of 15 percent on most EU exports and exempts aircraft and pharmaceuticals — should remain the baseline of the EU’s relationship to Washington. 

He urged, however, that Brussels keep negotiating further exemptions — something the U.S. has so far been reluctant to do given the EU still hasn’t completed its side of the bargain on the deal struck last July at Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. Legislation to scrap duties on imports of U.S. industrial goods remains stuck in the European Parliament.

“I would like us not simply to revert to the Turnberry agreement. We must also continue the process, ensure that the conversation is constructive, and move forward,” he said. 

“Frankly, is it in the interest of American consumers to have a 15 percent tariff on French spirits?”