January 21, 2026 | 02:18 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - French President Emmanuel Macron is urging the European Union to utilize its most robust trade instruments, including the anti-coercion mechanism, widely known as the "trade bazooka", to counter new tariff threats from the United States.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, as cited by Sputnik and quoted by Antara, Macron argued that the U.S. is employing trade agreements that damage European export interests while demanding maximum concessions.
He explicitly stated that these moves are intended to weaken and subdue Europe. The situation is further aggravated by the continuous accumulation of new tariffs, which he labeled as unacceptable.
"Europe has very strong tools now, and we have to use them. The anti-coercion mechanism is a powerful instrument, and we should not hesitate to deploy it," Macron said.
Macron's remarks follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on January 17 that a 10 percent tariff would be imposed on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland starting February 1.
These tariffs are set to increase to 25 percent in June, unless the U.S. successfully acquires Greenland.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump also threatened to impose a 200 percent tariff on French wine and champagne if France refused his invitation to join a U.S.-led initiative regarding Gaza.
Trump stated that such a measure would compel France to accept his proposal.
Last week, Trump announced the formation of a "Peace Council" for Gaza.
The council established by Trump includes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel.
Read: WEF: Is Greenland the Wake-up Call Europe Needed?
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