U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 200 per cent tariffs on French wine and champagne after France signalled it would not join his proposed Board of Peace—an international body initially framed around rebuilding Gaza but with a broader mandate that has raised concerns among allies.
The escalation followed public criticism from Paris, including pointed social-media mockery of comments by the U.S. Treasury Secretary defending Trump’s focus on Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. Trump responded on Truth Social by sharing a private message from French President Emmanuel Macron, in which Macron said he agreed with Trump on Iran and Syria but questioned Washington’s Greenland push. Macron also suggested a meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
French officials have pushed back, calling tariff threats “unacceptable and ineffective” and rejecting the idea that trade pressure should be used to influence foreign policy decisions. Paris has also voiced concern that the Board of Peace’s charter goes beyond Gaza, potentially overlapping with or undermining existing multilateral institutions.
The dispute adds to growing transatlantic tensions, with European leaders warning that tariff brinkmanship over geopolitical disagreements risks further destabilizing trade relations at a time of heightened global uncertainty.