Davos [Switzerland], January 20, 2026, BNN Web Staff: French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday strongly criticised the United States’ trade posture, warning that tariff threats are being used to weaken Europe and exert pressure on its territorial sovereignty.
Addressing the 56th Annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Macron said the global order is entering a phase marked by instability and growing imbalance across security, defence and economic spheres.
He cautioned that the absence of effective collective governance is turning international cooperation into intense and often unfair competition.
Without naming US President Donald Trump directly, Macron took aim at Washington’s trade strategy, arguing that aggressive tariff measures and hardline negotiations undermine European interests.
He said such practices demand disproportionate concessions from Europe and are unacceptable when used as political leverage.
Macron warned that global competition, if left unchecked, risks eroding democratic norms. He pointed to a rise in violence worldwide, noting that 2024 witnessed a record number of conflicts, and cautioned that warfare and confrontation are increasingly being normalised.
The French President also highlighted what he described as a dangerous shift towards a rules-free international system, where power outweighs law and imperial ambitions are re-emerging.
He cited Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, now approaching its fourth year, along with conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, as examples of weakening multilateral frameworks.
His remarks come amid heightened tensions following Washington’s warning of new tariffs against France and several other European countries.
The US has threatened to impose higher duties unless negotiations over Greenland progress, linking trade measures with broader strategic and territorial concerns.
Trump has also recently suggested imposing steep tariffs on French wine and champagne after reports that Macron declined to participate in the proposed Gaza Board of Peace. The French President, whose current term ends in May 2027, is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term.
Macron concluded by urging renewed commitment to multilateralism, warning that a world governed solely by strength rather than rules would deepen instability and weaken global cooperation.
