Trump threatens 200% tariffs on French wine after Paris snubs ‘Board of Peace’ invite

Trump made the remarks while criticising French President Emmanuel Macron, suggesting economic pressure could force compliance. “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.

The US-proposed board was initially conceived to oversee the rebuilding of war-torn Gaza, though its charter reportedly extends beyond the Palestinian territory.

The US president later intensified the row by sharing, on his Truth Social platform, a private message from Macron.

In the message, the French president said the two leaders were aligned on Iran and Syria but expressed confusion over Trump’s push on Greenland, asking what the US leader was “doing on Greenland.”

According to Trump’s post, Macron had proposed a meeting with Trump and other G7 leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos and suggested inviting representatives from Ukraine, Denmark, Syria and Russia. The French president also offered to host Trump for dinner.

The sharp exchange followed remarks by French officials mocking Washington’s justification for Trump’s interest in Greenland, a territory of Denmark.

France took aim at comments by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who defended Trump’s Arctic focus by citing potential future security threats from Russia.

In a post on X, France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs used a series of sarcastic analogies to criticise the logic behind pre-emptive action, likening it to deliberately burning a house to prevent a future fire or “eating the lifeguard” because a shark might attack someday.

Bessent had argued that competition in the Arctic was real and that the US could be drawn into conflict if Greenland were attacked in the future, given NATO commitments.

France, however, has pushed back firmly. A source close to President Macron told news agency AFP that Paris “does not intend to answer favourably” to Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace, noting that its mandate “goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza.”

Responding to Trump’s tariff threat, the same source said such measures were “unacceptable and ineffective.” “Tariff threats to influence our foreign policy are unacceptable and ineffective,” the source said.

The standoff adds to growing transatlantic friction, as Trump’s aggressive trade and foreign policy tactics continue to draw sharp reactions from key US allie