Trump's Private Message to Macron Sparks Tariff Threats on French Wine

Trump's Tariff Threats and Diplomatic Tensions

By Michel Rose and Ingrid Melander

Context of the Dispute

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Donald Trump has posted a private message from France's leader and threatened huge tariffs against French wine and champagne, taking aim at an ally who has championed a tough riposte to U.S. attempts to strongarm European policy over Greenland.

Macron's Response and EU's Actions

The U.S. president's relationship with Europe as a whole has deeply soured over his push to wrest sovereignty over the Arctic island from fellow NATO member Denmark, rattling European industry and sending shockwaves through financial markets.

Implications for NATO and Global Trade

Macron has taken a harder line than most EU leaders in his response to Trump's Greenland threat, pushing the bloc to activate its most potent trade tools against the U.S. and sending French troops to Greenland in support of Denmark.

Trump has also taken offence at France's reluctance to join a proposed Board of Peace, a new organisation that he would lead. Paris has voiced concern over its impact on the role of the United Nations.

When asked about Macron's stance on the Board of Peace, Trump said: "Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon."

"I'll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he'll join, but he doesn't have to join," Trump said.

TRUMP PUBLISHES PRIVATE POST

A few hours later, early on Tuesday, Trump published on his Truth Social account a screenshot of an exchange with Macron.

In the exchange, which a source close to Macron said was authentic, Macron told Trump "I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland," and offered to host a G7 meeting inviting Russia and others.

Macron, addressing Trump as his "friend", also said he was "totally in line" with Trump on Syria, and that they could do "great things on Iran". Neither Trump nor the French source disclosed the date of the messages.

NO TRUMP-MACRON MEETING PLANNED IN DAVOS

Macron is due in Davos to attend the World Economic Forum on Tuesday before a scheduled return to Paris in the evening. Elysee aides have said there are no plans to extend his stay to Wednesday, when Trump arrives in the Swiss mountain resort town.

The dispute between Trump and European allies threatens to upend the NATO alliance that has underpinned Western security for decades.

EMERGENCY EU SUMMIT

Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on several European allies, including France, until the U.S. is allowed to acquire Greenland, a step major EU states decried as blackmail.

In response, EU leaders decided over the weekend to convene in Brussels on Thursday evening for an emergency summit on Greenland.

People close to Macron said he was being singled out by Trump because he was standing up for democratic principles.

"By leading the resistance, France becomes a target," Pieyre-Alexandre Langlade, a lawmaker in Macron’s camp, told Reuters. Langlade was taking off for Greenland, as part of a parliamentary delegation showing solidarity with Denmark.

Macron, who will leave office in mid-2027, has been France's president since 2017. His relationship with Trump has had ups and downs since Trump's first term, with Macron alternating between flattery and tougher rhetoric.

French officials have long defended Macron’s efforts to engage directly with Trump, saying the men often have impromptu calls and exchange texts outside official diplomatic channels.

At the weekend, a source close to Macron said he was pushing for the activation of the Anti-Coercion Instrument, a strong EU trade power that could limit access to public tenders or restrict trade in services, a sector in which the U.S. has a surplus with the bloc.

Europeans are also weighing their own 93 billion euro tariff riposte to retaliate against the U.S. threat of tariff hikes over Greenland.

(Reporting by Michel Rose in Davos, additional reporting by Chandni Shah and Subham Kalia in Bengaluru; Writing by Ingrid MelanderEditing by Andrew Heavens and Peter Graff)