Macron says US, EU shouldn't waste time on tariff threats after Trump warning

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, May 5, that the United States and the European Union should focus on broader geopolitical and economic stability rather than escalating tariff disputes, after President Donald Trump announced plans to raise duties on European cars and trucks.

Speaking during the EU-Armenia summit in Yerevan, Macron said the transatlantic alliance faced more pressing challenges than trade tensions.

His remarks followed Trump’s announcement that tariffs on European vehicles would rise to 25% this week, intensifying trade uncertainty as global markets continue to respond to conflict in the Middle East.

Macron, EU push to preserve trade deal

Macron said the timing of renewed tariff threats was counterproductive, particularly as the US and Europe face wider geopolitical and economic challenges. 

“Especially in the geopolitical period we are experiencing, allies like the United States of America and the European Union have much better things to do than to stir up threats of destabilization,” Macron told reporters in Armenia.

He said businesses and households on both sides of the Atlantic required predictability, arguing that stability should remain the focus of policymakers. 

“For our businesses, our households, our populations, we should rather send a message of stability and confidence,” Macron said.

He added that he hoped “reason will prevail soon.”

The comments came ahead of scheduled talks in Paris between US and EU trade officials aimed at addressing the dispute.

Trump has accused the European Union of failing to comply with a trade agreement reached last year, although he has not detailed the specific concerns.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen shakes hands with US Trump during a meeting at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 27, 2025 in Turnberry (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

That 2025 agreement, negotiated between Trump and Ursula von der Leyen, established a tariff ceiling of 15% on most goods traded between the US and the EU.

Von der Leyen reaffirmed the bloc’s position on Tuesday, saying the agreement remained binding. 

“A deal is a deal, and we have a deal. And the essence of this deal is prosperity, common rules and reliability,” she said.

She also said the European Union was prepared to respond if trade tensions escalated further. “We are prepared for every scenario,” von der Leyen said.

Tariff threat deepens tensions in Germany

The tariff dispute has unfolded alongside rising political tensions between Trump and Friedrich Merz, after the German leader said the United States had been “humiliated” by Iran during negotiations to end the war. 

Trump has reacted sharply to the comments and has since threatened to reduce the US military presence in Germany by withdrawing thousands of troops.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy and a major automobile producer, is likely to be among the most affected if the planned tariff increase takes effect.

Macron said that trade agreements must be respected and warned that reopening the existing framework could trigger broader economic consequences.

“If they were challenged again, it would reopen everything,” Macron said.

He added that the European Union had policy tools available to respond if necessary. “The European Union has instruments that would then need to be activated,” Macron said.