French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that tariffs imposed by powerful countries are often a form of "blackmail" rather than tools to rebalance trade, "Reuters" quoted him as saying.
His comments during a speech at the International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain, came as the European Union negotiates a trade deal with the United States ahead of a July 9 deadline, although he did not specifically mention the United States or U.S. President Donald Trump.
"We need to restore freedom and equality in international trade, much more than the barriers and tariffs that are invented by the most powerful and which are often used as tools of blackmail rather than as tools of rebalancing," Macron said.
He also called for support - and a rethink - of the World Trade Organization to align it with the goals of fighting inequality and climate change.
"Returning to trade wars and tariffs at this point in the life of the planet is a departure, especially when I see tariffs being imposed on countries that are just starting their economic recovery," Macron said.
In April, Trump announced sweeping global tariffs, saying countries would face taxes on imports into the United States ranging from 10 to 50 percent, although he later reversed course and largely reduced them within 90 days.
The UN trade agency said the tariffs could have a catastrophic impact on developing countries, including some of the world's least developed countries, such as Lesotho, Cambodia, Laos, Madagascar and Myanmar, face some of the highest tariffs.
Macron, a vocal critic of Washington's tariffs, also said it was a departure to ask Europeans to spend more on defense while a trade war looms.