U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his confrontation with European leaders on the eve of the World Economic Forum in Davos, threatening to impose a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne.
The threat follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to join Trump’s "Board of Peace," an international body originally designed to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza that has since morphed into a vehicle for broader American foreign policy.
“Nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon,” Trump told reporters Monday, disparaging the French leader.
“I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join.”
The dispute centers on the draft charter for the Board of Peace, which would position Trump as its inaugural chairman with the power to appoint members and veto decisions.
According to documents seen by Bloomberg, the administration is soliciting "permanent" seats on the board for a $1 billion fee, with funds ostensibly directed toward Gaza’s rebuilding.
However, the charter’s mandate includes a "bold new approach to resolving global conflict," which Macron and other European officials fear is designed to circumvent the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).