Brussels, July 15 (LaPresse) – “The U.S. threat to impose a 30% tariff on the European Union represents the wrong approach. It looks like blackmail and is not in line with the privileged relationship between the United States and the European Union,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot upon arriving at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. “The EU is the number one trading partner of the U.S., but it is not meant to become a vassal of the United States,” he emphasized. Barrot highlighted that the American economy relies heavily on Europe: “The major digital companies – the GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook-Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft) – generate 25% of their revenue in Europe, and the Eurozone helps finance the U.S. economy. The U.S. public deficit stands at €3 trillion, even excluding American investments in Europe.” He also reminded that, since 2023, the EU has equipped itself with powerful trade defense tools to counter coercion, including restrictions on public procurement and access to the single market for digital and financial services. “We are partners and must find an agreement,” Barrot concluded.
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