French President Emmanuel Macron doesn’t want Europe to stay silent in the face of Donald Trump’s latest trade warnings.
At a Cabinet meeting in Paris this week, Macron told his ministers that the European Union should prepare to hit back and that U.S. digital companies could be the target. His push came just after Trump criticized Europe’s digital regulations and raised the threat of fresh tariffs.
According to a senior French government official, Macron made it clear that Europe “should not exclude taking a look at the digital sector” as part of its response.
Macron’s Case for Retaliation
For Macron, the issue goes deeper than tariffs; it’s about Europe showing strength. He pointed to the EU’s lopsided trade balance with Washington, stressing,
“The European Union has a big trade deficit with the United States, we need to focus on this.”
While the EU sells more goods to the U.S. from cars to pharmaceuticals and food it runs a deficit in services, especially in the digital space. That makes U.S. tech giants a clear pressure point in any trade dispute.
A source close to the French president confirmed that targeting the digital sector was indeed “his stance.”
Trump’s Warning to Europe
Trump’s move caught Brussels off guard. Only days earlier, the EU and U.S. had finalized a trade agreement setting a 15 percent tariff baseline on European exports. Despite that deal, Trump warned he would add new duties against countries whose digital policies, in his view, “discriminate” against American firms.
His administration has long accused Europe’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act of unfairly targeting companies like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta and even of limiting Americans’ freedom online.
France has consistently urged Europe to take a tougher stance, though many EU members remain hesitant to risk an open trade conflict. So far, the European Commission has held off from activating its Anti-Coercion Instrument, a legal weapon that could restrict Big Tech’s IP rights or block U.S. investments in Europe.
A Divided Europe
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen once said that “all instruments are on the table” to deal with Trump’s tactics. But she has since pulled back, wary of undermining cooperation with Washington on issues like Ukraine.
Macron, by contrast, has openly suggested that Europe failed to negotiate from a position of strength in the last deal. Privately, he has told allies that Europe “was not feared enough” to win better terms.
The French leader plans to press the issue with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz later this week during a meeting at his summer retreat in Fort Brégançon and in the city of Toulon.
TechWorldNews Perspective:
If Macron goes ahead with targeting U.S. Big Tech, Europe could gain leverage in trade talks and open more space for its own tech industry to grow. It would also highlight the EU’s digital trade deficit, pushing Washington to negotiate fairer terms.
But the risks are high. Trump could retaliate with tougher tariffs on EU goods, and a divided European response might weaken the bloc’s position. It could also disrupt European businesses that rely heavily on U.S. platforms.
In short: Macron’s move could strengthen Europe’s bargaining power, but it risks sparking a costly trade clash.
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