- NATO summit in London, Trump-Macron tensions
- Web tax, Trump threatens sanctions and new duties towards France and Italy
- Trump: if web-tax remains 100% duty on French exports
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03 December 2019The European Union "will act and react with one voice and will remain united, we are coordinating with the French authorities on the next steps".This is what Daniel Rosario , one of the spokespersons of the community executive, said to those who asked him for a comment in the face of American threats to heavily tax some French products in retaliation for the digital tax on the big US of the web. Earlier, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said that Trump's idea is unacceptable, urging a European response.
The press conference
France and the United States "will probably" solve their tax dispute with the American web giants, the so-called Gafa, US President Donald Trump said at a joint press conference with his French colleague, Emmanuel Macron. "I remain firm on my comments about NATO", replied French President Emmanuel Macron, a few hours after the opening of the summit of the Atlantic Alliance. Macron had spoken of "brain death" of NATO.
Attack on the web tax and NATO
The controversy was triggered by statements by US President Donald Trump, in London for NATO's 70th anniversary celebrations. "The US will act against the web tax regimes that discriminate against American companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon," said Trump, suggesting that he wants to impose up to 100% duties on European products, especially French, while responding to the French president Macron: it is offensive to talk about the brain death of the Alliance, no one needs it more than France.
President Donald Trump's new commercial offensive, as a reprisal against the web tax, is primarily about France. But the warning could also affect Italy, which in the 2020 Budget law has provided for a rate of 3% for web giants.
"The US will act against web tax regimes," Trade Secretary Robert Lighthizer warned, threatening punitive rates of up to 100% on $ 2.4 billion of imports from France, from champagne to bags, from cheese to cosmetics. Washington also assesses a tightening of US tariffs already in force against the EU after the verdict of the World Trade Organization on the Airbus case which - it was established - benefits from state aid, thanks to funding approved by previous governments.