FILE PHOTO: French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire walks in the courtyard as he arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 6, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
July 8, 2018
PARIS (Reuters) – The United States can expect a strong and united response from Europe to any further tariff increases, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday, warning a trade war was already underway.
“If tomorrow there is an increase in tariffs, like in the car industry, including on cars, our reaction should be united and strong to show that Europe is a united and sovereign power,” Le Maire said.
“The question is no longer whether or not there will be a trade war, the war has already started,” he added, speaking at an economic conference in Aix-en-Provence, in southern France.
(Reporting by Leigh Thomas and Pascale Denis; Editing by Ingrid Melander)
