Digital taxation: The Mayor suggests that the United States no longer wants an agreement

Paris (AFP)

The French Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire, hinted Monday that the United States no longer wanted an international agreement on the taxation of digital giants and assured that France would never give up its own tax.

"We see that the United States is backtracking" in the ongoing negotiation of an international agreement within the OECD to tax the digital giants, said the minister on France Inter.

"After calling for an international solution to the OECD, (Washington) is not sure of wanting," he added, while the US Trade Representative's Office (USTR) is expected to present Monday the conclusions of his investigation into the impact on US companies of the French tax.

According to Mr. Mayor, the administration of Donald Trump could now "be content to impose sanctions on France who has decided an international taxation."

"My message will be clear: we will never, never, ever, give up this will to tax the digital giants," said the minister.

The United States, which for several years blocked the negotiations within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), relaunched at the beginning of the year to find an international agreement on the taxation of digital.

France had taken the lead by applying this year a national tax and other countries, such as Italy or Great Britain, are planning to do the same.

As early as this summer, Paris had committed to abandon its tax as soon as an international solution was found under the auspices of the OECD.

© 2019 AFP