France Begs Trump to Back Down After 'Liberation Day' Tariffs

France is panicking. After President Donald Trump declared economic independence with his "Liberation Day" tariffs slapping a minimum 10% tariff on all imports and reciprocal tariffs on foreign nations that abuse American markets French officials are now pleading for cooperation.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called for a “cooperative rather than confrontational approach,” but make no mistake: this is Europe freaking out over losing their sweetheart trade deals. Deals that have long favored their economies at the expense of American workers and manufacturers.

Trump’s move, announced Wednesday, is simple: if a country imposes tariffs or trade barriers on U.S. goods, we’ll match or exceed them. That’s reciprocity. That’s fairness. And it’s exactly what we’ve needed for decades.

Let’s break down what’s really going on:

• The European Union slaps a 39% tariff on U.S. goods, yet the U.S. imposes far less in return. Under Trump’s new executive order, the EU will now face a 20% reciprocal tariff.

• The U.S. trade deficit with the EU hit $235.6 billion in 2024. Trump called it what it is: “an atrocity.”

• Trump also announced a 25% tariff on steel, aluminum, and imported cars direct hits to globalist economies like Germany and France that have profited off hollowing out American industry.

In response, Barrot tried to claim that tariffs would raise prices for American families ignoring that the real cost of decades of unfair trade has been outsourced jobs, shuttered factories, and stagnating wages. France even floated retaliatory measures, such as taxes on exports, digital services restrictions, and limiting U.S. access to European contracts.

Barrot also subtly threatened to use France’s financial leverage, reminding the U.S. that France holds $335 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds and that European savings help finance the American deficit. The message? Don’t mess with the status quo.

But that status quo has been great for global elites and terrible for the American middle class.

And now that President Trump is putting America first again, they’re terrified.

• Big Tech makes over 25% of its revenue in Europe. So when the EU whines about tariffs, what they’re really afraid of is losing control over digital policy and profit margins.

• The European Commission is already threatening $28 billion in retaliatory tariffs, exposing just how dependent they are on their access to U.S. markets.

Here’s the bottom line: President Trump is restoring balance and reasserting America’s right to fair trade. No more begging foreign bureaucrats for access to markets that slam the door in our face. No more letting Europe dictate the rules while enjoying American consumer dollars and defense protection.

If Europe wants a trade war, Trump’s ready. And this time, America isn’t playing defense.

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