France says EU will hit back at Trump's new tariffs

The European Union will respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff announcement, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday.

Barrot told TF1 television that France and its European partners should not hesitate to defend their interests against U.S. tariff threats.

Trump said on Sunday that he would introduce new 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., in addition to existing metal duties, marking another major escalation in his trade policy.

Asked whether France and the European Union would respond, Barrot said: "Of course ... This is already what Donald Trump did in 2018, and we responded. We will again respond."

He added that the European Commission would determine which sectors would be affected by the EU's response.

"It (the Commission) is ready to push the trigger when the time has come. Now, this time has come. It is in no one's interest to start a commercial war with the European Union," he said.

Also on Monday, the European Commission stated that it had "not received any official notification" of additional duties.

"We will not respond to broad announcements without details or written clarification. The EU sees no justification for the imposition of tariffs on its exports. We will react to protect the interests of European businesses, workers and consumers from unjustified measures," the Commission said in a statement.

(With input from Reuters, AFP)