French President Emmanuel Macron condemned US President Donald Trump's threat to impose 30 percent tariffs on the EU. Macron called on the bloc to "resolutely defend European interests", AFP reported.

On July 12, Trump warned that Mexico and the EU would face 30 percent tariffs from August 1, raising the stakes in already tense negotiations with two of the US's biggest trading partners.

Expressing France's "very strong disapproval" of the announcement, Macron called on the bloc to "accelerate the preparation of credible countermeasures, mobilising all the tools at its disposal" if the two sides fail to reach an agreement by August 1.

"France fully supports the European Commission (EC) in the negotiations, which will be intensified to reach a mutually acceptable agreement by August 1 so that it reflects the respect that trading partners like the EU and the US owe each other," the French president wrote on social media.

Earlier on 12 July, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke out strongly about the new tariffs threatened by Trump. However, Von der Leyen said the EU was still seeking an agreement to avert the measures. | BGNES