Macron Slams US Tariff Threats at Davos, Warns of Global Instability

During his address at the 56th Annual Summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Macron highlighted rising global instability and imbalances across security, defence, and economic domains.

"It is clear that we are moving into a time of instability and imbalances, both from a security, defence, and economic point of view," he said.

The French President expressed concern that without collective governance, global competition is becoming "relentless". He singled out US trade policies for undermining European trade interests, demanding maximum concessions, and imposing new tariffs, calling such practices "fundamentally unacceptable".

"It is clearly a concerning time because we are losing the perspective needed to fix the situation. Without collective governance, cooperation gives way to relentless competition. Competition from the USA through trade agreements undermines our trade interests, demands maximum concessions, and openly aims to weaken and subordinate Europe, combined with the endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable--especially when used as leverage against territorial sovereignty," Macron said.

He warned of a global shift "towards autocracy rather than democracy," citing rising violence and the number of wars compared to 2024, noting that some of them "were solved", a reference to Trump's repeated claims of ending eight wars.

"There is a shift towards autocracy rather than democracy. More violence, with more than 60 wars in 2024--an absolute record. I heard some of them were solved... Conflict has become normalised, with hybrid threats expanding into new domains such as space, information, digital cyber, trade, and more," the French President said.

He further noted a "shift towards a world without rules, where international law is trampled, and where the only law that matters is that of the strongest," adding that imperial ambitions are resurfacing.

Macron cited the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, now entering its fourth year, alongside conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, as evidence of a weakening of effective collective governance.

"The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which will enter its fourth year next month, continues alongside ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Africa... This marks a shift towards a world without effective collective governance, where multilateralism is weakened by powers that obstruct it or turn away from it," the French President said.

His remarks come amid global uncertainty amid Washington's threats to impose tariffs on France and seven other European countries unless they agree to sell Greenland.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump offered to negotiate with the European nations but warned of escalating tariffs of 10 per cent from February 1, 2026, and 25 per cent from June 1, 2026, if a deal wasn't reached.

Meanwhile, Trump, during a media gaggle, had floated the proposal to impose a 200 per cent tariff on French wine and champagne exported to the US after Macron reportedly refused to sit on the Gaza Board of Peace, which is aimed at promoting stability and overseeing post-conflict reconstruction in the region.

"Nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon," Trump said in response to reporters stating that Macron would not join the board.

"I'll put a 200 per cent tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he'll join, but he doesn't have to join," the US President added.

Notably, Macron's current five-year presidential term will conclude in May 2027, and under French law, he is ineligible to seek a third term.

- ANI