Macron Urges EU To Be Resolute In Defence Against Trump Tariffs

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has called on the EU to "defend European interests resolutely" after Donald Trump threatened to impose 30% tariffs on nearly all imports from the EU.

- Lisa O'Carroll

It came as the EU moved to de-escalate tensions after the blunt move by Trump on Saturday. The bloc declared a further pause on €21bn of retaliatory tariffs until 1 August, dovetailing with the US president's new deal deadline.

At the same time, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, announced a "political agreement" on a free trade deal, ending years of negotiations.

Indonesia, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, had recently come to the view that the EU, despite its hostility to regulation, was a more stable partner than the US, said one diplomat.

The EU has stepped up its efforts to forge new agreements with South American and Asian partners after Trump blew up the world's trading system, with hopes that deals with India, Thailand and others can be concluded by year end.

Macron said the EU should be ready for a trade war and to stand up to Trump, who only last week was expected to approve a 10% tariff agreement in principle with the bloc.