Feb 21 (Reuters) - Brussels has the tools to hit back at the United States for its latest round of tariffs, France's trade minister Nicolas Forissier told the Financial Times on Saturday. Paris was
France: EU Ready to Hit Back at Trump's Tariffs with Trade Tools
EU Retaliation Tools Under Consideration
Feb 21 (Reuters) - Brussels has the tools to hit back at the United States for its latest round of tariffs, France's trade minister Nicolas Forissier told the Financial Times on Saturday.
Paris was in talks with EU counterparts and the European Commission over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose a flat global tariff of 10% after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that many of the existing tariffs he had levied on trading partners were illegal, Forissier said.
"Should it become necessary, the EU has the appropriate instruments at its disposal," Forissier told the FT.
Anti-Coercion Instrument ('trade bazooka')
The EU response could include options such as the "trade bazooka", an anti-coercion instrument (ACI) that could affect U.S. technology companies, the newspaper said, citing French officials.
Possible ACI Measures
The ACI has a broad range of powers from export controls to tariffs on services, as well as excluding U.S. companies from EU procurement contracts, it said.
Suspended €90B Tariffs Option
There is also a suspended package of retaliatory tariffs on more than 90 billion euros ($106 billion) of U.S. goods that could be deployed, the report added.
Exchange Rate Note
($1 = 0.8489 euros)
(Reporting by Ruchika Khanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Jan Harvey)
