French foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, warned on Monday that the European Union would retaliate by replicating any tariffs imposed on it by the United States, warning Washington against a trade war.

Barrot said in an interview with TF1 after US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Washington will move this week to impose 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium products, stressing that there is no hesitation when it comes to defending the union’s interests.

Asked whether France and the EU would retaliate against the measures announced by Trump, Barrot referenced what Donald Trump did in 2018 during his first term as president, noting that at the time the union replicated.

When asked what retaliation measures would be agreed upon, Barrot replied that it was up to the European Commission to decide what sectors would be targeted.

The tariffs on steel and aluminium imports were the latest in a slew of trade levies the US leader has announced that have raised fears of a global trade war.