French Producers Beg for Mercy After Trump EU Tariff Announcement [WATCH]

Wine and cheese producers in France are raising concerns following President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration will impose a 30% tariff on imports from European Union (EU) member states beginning August 1.

President Trump announced the decision last week, citing long-standing trade imbalances and national security concerns as the primary motivations for the measure.

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump stated that the EU’s economic policies have created “large and unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States,” adding that these imbalances also pose a national security threat.

EU under @vonderleyen:⁰30% tariffs from 🇺🇸 + sky-high energy costs + suffocating bureaucracy = deindustrialisation & decline.
Add in:⁰🔹 Uncontrolled immigration⁰🔹 Censorship⁰🔹 Weak capital markets⁰🔹 Record youth unemployment

EU bureaucracy undermines EU competitiveness pic.twitter.com/VbXnUBknF6

— Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) July 12, 2025

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The White House has made it clear that any retaliatory actions from the EU would be matched and incorporated into the base 30% tariff rate.

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French agricultural and food industry leaders responded to the announcement by warning that the tariffs could significantly harm the sector, particularly dairy and wine exports.

Jean-Francois Loiseau, president of the Association Nationale des Industries Alimentaires (ANIA), told Reuters that the tariff would be “disastrous” for France’s food industry.

Francois Xavier Huard, CEO of the dairy association FNIL, said the new U.S. policy represents a serious challenge for French milk and cheese producers. “It’s a real shock for milk and cheese producers – this is an important market for us,” Huard said.

Huard added that industry leaders are already considering strategic adjustments.

“It’s a new environment we will have to get used to – I don’t think this is temporary,” he said, noting the uncertainty surrounding international trade policies.

France exports nearly half of its dairy products globally, with the United States serving as a key destination for high-value items like Brie, butter, and yogurt.

According to FNIL, the French dairy sector exports approximately $409 million (350 million euros) in dairy products to the U.S. each year.

Huard warned that without intervention, tens of millions of euros in revenue could be lost annually.

Yannick Fialip, president of the National Center for the Promotion of Agricultural and Food Products (CNPA), told Reuters that higher prices resulting from the new tariffs could make French goods less accessible to U.S. consumers already dealing with inflation.

“Products like wine, especially, are consumed for pleasure – if you have less money to spend, you might forgo the purchase,” Fialip said.

He also pointed to the weakening U.S. dollar as a factor that has already strained French exports.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded to Trump’s announcement with a warning that the tariffs would harm businesses and consumers in both regions but indicated that the EU remains open to dialogue.

“A 30% tariff on EU exports would hurt businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic,” von der Leyen posted on X.

“We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1. At the same time, we are ready to safeguard EU interests on the basis of proportionate countermeasures.”

A 30% tariff on EU exports would hurt businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic.

We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1.

At the same time, we are ready to safeguard EU interests on the basis of proportionate countermeasures.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 12, 2025

In a follow-up statement, von der Leyen emphasized the EU’s intention to pursue “global partnerships firmly anchored in the principles of rules-based international trade.”

The 30% tariff is scheduled to take effect at the beginning of August unless a new agreement is reached.