We should not exclude any option and we could open the box of European instruments, which is very complete and represents a possibility of extremely aggressive riposte, the official told the press before the start in Luxembourg of a meeting of foreign trade heads of the 27-member bloc.

According to Saint-Martin, both U.S. goods and services are potential targets of the reaction, following Trump’s announcements on April 2 to impose tariffs on dozens of countries, including 20 percent on products from the EU, customs tariffs that follow those already imposed on steel and aluminum.

We are talking about the anti-coercion mechanism among the instruments available,” he said, referring to the protocol aimed at defending the interests of the bloc and acting as a deterrent.

The minister said that France prefers cooperation and negotiation to escalation and confrontation, but believes that the EU must be ready to respond.

Saint-Martin recalled that in about ten days the first of the ripostes will come out, related to the tariffs imposed by Trump on steel and aluminum.

Then we will have in the EU until the end of the month to react to the so-called reciprocal tariffs, he pointed out.

He also insisted that it would be better to avoid a trade war from which no one would emerge as a winner.

ef/abo/mem/wmr