Trump floats 200% tariff on champagne if Macron snubs Gaza peace board

'Well, nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon,' Trump told reporters after being informed Macron would decline his invitation

By Ania Nussbaum and Josh Wingrove

 

US President Donald Trump took shots at French leader Emmanuel Macron for rejecting his invitation to join a proposed Board of Peace, and suggested he could impose a 200 per cent tariff on champagne. 

“Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon,” Trump told reporters Monday local time, after being informed Macron would decline his invitation. “I’ll put a 200 per cent tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join,” he added.

 

Macron’s second term is scheduled to end next year, and he’s repeatedly vowed not to leave early. 

 

The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent spot on the body to contribute at least $1 billion. According to a draft charter for the proposed group seen by Bloomberg, Trump would serve as its inaugural chairman and would have authority over membership decisions.

 

Macron doesn’t plan to accept, a person close to the French leader said earlier. Macron believes the charter goes beyond Gaza, the person said, and raises significant concerns, particularly over respect for the principles and institutional framework of the United Nations, which France considers non-negotiable.

 

Trump also confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been invited to join the board, without elaborating. 

 

Trump has invited a number of world leaders, including Argentina’s Javier Milei and Canada’s Mark Carney, to be part of a Board of Peace for Gaza, which would be formed under the broader umbrella of his new Board of Peace. Several European nations have been invited to join the peace board, according to people familiar with the matter. 

 

Trump wants the full constitution and remit of the committee signed in Davos on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter. But some elements of the small print have left invitees wondering whether to accept.

 

Critics are worried that Trump is trying to build an alternative, or rival, to the United Nations, which he has long criticized.