Trump threatens 200% tariffs on France

Washington: US President Donald Trump has threatened 200 percent tariffs on French wine and champagne over Paris's intentions to decline his invitation to join his "Board of Peace". The US leader also shared in a Truth Social post a private message he received from French President Emmanuel Macron regarding Greenland.

Trump's all-out attack on France came after Paris derided Washington by mocking US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's justification of why Trump is fixated on the Arctic territory, part of Denmark.

"I'll put a 200 per cent tariff on his wines and champagnes. And he'll join. But he doesn't have to join," Trump said, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron. The US-proposed board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of war-torn Gaza, but the charter does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory.

He later posted a private message from Macron, where the French President told Trump that the two agree on the issues of Iran and Syria but told him he did not "understand" what Trump was "doing on Greenland?"

The French president offered to meet Trump and other G7 leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, noting he could also invite Ukrainians, Danes, Syrians and Russians. He also offered to take Trump out to dinner on Thursday.

The development came after news agency AFP reported that France "does not intend to answer favourably" to Trump's 'Board of Peace' invitation. The board's charter "goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza", the source close to the French president said. France also mocked the US over Trump's Greenland push.