Key Points
- France deems US tariff threats ‘unacceptable and ineffective’
- Tensions linked to France’s stance on the ‘Board of Peace’ initiative
- The move reflects the ongoing interplay between trade policy and international diplomacy
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on French wine, linking the move to what he described as France’s resistance to the proposed “Board of Peace” initiative, in a dispute that highlights the growing overlap between trade policy and international diplomacy.
France, led by President Emmanuel Macron, dismissed the threat as “unacceptable and ineffective,” underscoring rising tensions between Washington and Paris as Trump holds talks with global leaders on security and trade on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The announcement underscores how diplomatic disagreements are increasingly intersecting with trade policy.
Trump’s statement comes amid heightened global attention to the proposed Board of Peace, a multilateral diplomatic mechanism for addressing ongoing conflicts, including the situation in Gaza. The US president indicated that France’s reluctance or perceived opposition to the initiative could trigger retaliatory economic measures.
France responded to the threat through a source close to President Emmanuel Macron, who told AFP that the US actions were “unacceptable and ineffective.”
“Tariff threats to influence our foreign policy are unacceptable and ineffective,” the source added, highlighting Paris’s rejection of economic coercion as a tool of diplomacy.
Analysts observed that the partly symbolic tariff threat underscores the growing role of economic leverage in US foreign policy, particularly on issues where international consensus is crucial.
The development follows Trump’s confirmed meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he is engaging world leaders on global security, trade, and investment matters.
