You've really got to love our President. He is proving everyday that there will be no more one way anal sex with the United States as the recipient.
If they want to play, we will play too.
dailymail.co.uk
Donald Trump plans to hit France with $2.4 billion tariffs on champagne and luxury handbags in retaliation for 'digital tax' on Google, Amazon and Facebook in move revealed hours before he meets President Macron
Donald Trump's trade representative Robert Lighthizer unveils plans for $2.4 billion tariff war on France
U.S. opposes digital tax being planned by France which would hit Silicon Valley giants including Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook
Move was unveiled on eve of Trump sitting down with France's president, Emmanuel Macron, at NATO summit in London Among the items which would be hit by tariffs are champagne, some French cheese and French-made handbags
Stock markets had tumbled Monday amid fears of more tariff chaos after Trump also hit Brazil and Argentina
By AFP and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 18:14 EST, 2 December 2019 | UPDATED: 21:58 EST, 2 December 2019
The United States on Monday threatened to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on $2.4 billion in French goods in retaliation for a digital services tax it says is discriminatory.
French sparkling wine, yogurt and Roquefort cheese are on the list of goods that could be targeted as soon as mid-January after a report from the US Trade Representative's office found the tax penalizes American tech companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.
The decision 'sends a clear signal that the United States will take action against digital tax regimes that discriminate or otherwise impose undue burdens on US companies,' US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement.
Lighthizer also warned that Washington was considering widening the investigation to look into similar taxes in Austria, Italy, and Turkey.
The USTR is focused on countering the growing protectionism of EU member states, which unfairly targets US companies, whether through digital services taxes or other efforts that target leading US digital services companies.'
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Hitting the French: Donald Trump touched down with his wife Melania for the NATO summit in London just before the announcement his administration wants to hit France with $2.4 billion in tariffs - with a meeting with Emmanuel Macron scheduled for Tuesday morning
Silicon Valley target: Emmanual Macron's government is acting over concern in his country that internet giants such as Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook are not paying their fair share of tax
The announcement comes hours before President Donald Trump is due to meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the NATO summit in London on Tuesday.
The French tax, enacted earlier this year, imposes a three percent levy on the revenues earned by technology firms in France, which often come from online advertising and other digital services.
The tax affects companies with least 750 million euros ($830 million) in annual global revenue on their digital activities.
The French tax targets revenue instead of profits, which are often reported by tech giants in low-tax jurisdictions like Ireland in a practice that has enraged governments.
The USTR report 'concluded that France's Digital Services Tax (DST) discriminates against US companies, is inconsistent with prevailing principles of international tax policy, and is unusually burdensome for affected US companies.'
After the tax was enacted, Trump in July vowed 'substantial' retaliation for the French measure.
USTR has scheduled public hearings on the proposal to imposes 'duties of up to 100 percent on certain French products,' and the possibility of 'imposing fees or restrictions on French services.'
The last date to submit comments on the proposed actions is January 14, and 'USTR expects to proceed expeditiously thereafter.'
The list of French products subject to potential duties includes cosmetics, porcelain, soap, handbags, butter, and several kinds of cheeses, including Roquefort and Gruyere.
However, despite Trump's repeated threats to retaliate against French wines, only sparkling wine made the tariff list. |
