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Trump Threatens Higher Champagne Tariffs Over Macron’s Refusal to Join Gaza Peace Board
MLN — 20 JAN 2026 President Donald Trump said Monday he would consider imposing steep tariffs on French wine and champagne if French President Emmanuel Macron refuses to join a White House, backed “Board of Peace” intended to oversee a U.S. led peace initiative for Gaza.
“I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join,” Trump told reporters when asked about Macron’s reported rejection of a seat on the board.
“If he said that, you’re probably giving it to me a little bit differently, but if he actually did say that, but as you know, he’s gonna be out of office in a few months,” Trump added.
France has been among the European countries targeted by Trump in recent weeks. The administration imposed a 10 percent tariff on French imports, along with tariffs on seven other countries that have criticized Trump’s push for the United States to take control of Greenland.
Trump’s comments came as he extended invitations to several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, to join the Board of Peace. The administration has said it hopes to secure participation from up to 60 countries during Trump’s visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump has said participating countries would be required to pay a $1 billion fee to retain their seat on the board. Carney has publicly rejected that requirement.
Macron’s office said the proposal raised concerns about international governance norms.
“The project goes beyond the framework of Gaza and raises serious questions, in particular with respect to the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question,” Macron’s office said, according to Politico EU.
According to the White House, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will serve on the board’s executive body. The administration said the group will focus on stabilizing daily life in Gaza while preparing for long-term governance.
“Each Executive Board member will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilization and long-term success,” the White House said, including governance, reconstruction, investment and funding.
Witkoff said last week that Gaza was “moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction,” referring to the next phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire announced by Trump in October. He said Hamas is expected to “fully comply with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage.”
