French President Emmanuel Macron has called on European companies to temporarily suspend any planned investments in the United States in light of US President Donald Trump‘s recent announcement regarding sweeping global tariffs on American imports.
During a meeting with representatives from the French industry, Macron emphasised, “Investments that are forthcoming or have been recently announced should be put on hold until we obtain clarification from the United States.”
This request follows weeks after the French shipping company CMA CGM disclosed its intention to invest $20 billion in the US to develop shipping logistics and terminals. This initiative was previously acknowledged favourably by President Trump and mentioned again in his recent speech unveiling the tariffs. Additionally, French electrical equipment supplier Schneider Electric announced plans late last month to invest $700 million to enhance US energy infrastructure in support of advancing artificial intelligence.
Neither CMA CGM nor Schneider Electric has provided immediate comments regarding Macron’s proposal. The French President indicated that no options have been ruled out in response to Trump’s tariffs and suggested using the EU’s anti-coercion mechanism to safeguard the bloc’s trade interests. Furthermore, he proposed targeting aspects of the digital services and financial mechanisms related to the US economy.
Macron affirmed that any response to reciprocal tariffs would be “more powerful” than previous retaliatory measures taken against US steel and aluminium tariffs. He described the recent tariffs as “brutal and unfounded,” recognising them as a significant disruption to international trade. He stressed Europe’s need to respond case-by-case, “industry by industry.“
