“As quickly as possible with the lowest possible rates”

Emmanuel Macron defended a trade agreement "as quickly as possible" between the EU and the United States, with customs duties "as low as possible," on Thursday during a trip to Aveyron.

"For me, the right deal is one that is concluded as quickly as possible with the lowest possible tariffs and that must be fair and firm," declared the French president, six days before the deadline set by Donald Trump.

While European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is in Washington to try to conclude an agreement on behalf of the 27 EU member states, Emmanuel Macron said he initially hoped for "the most ambitious agreement," meaning "zero for zero percent" of customs duties. Because "we believe that what is needed between the United States and Europe is not tariffs, but an open market where products can circulate."

But for the time being, "it's 10% that applies" and "what weighs on us is potentially 25% or more," observed the president, who was visiting Roquefort producers, who could be hit hard by such an increase.

As part of the ongoing negotiations, whose deadline was set for July 9 by Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron hopes to "obtain what is the minimum today for the Americans," namely "10% for 10%" in customs duties. And that "the 0% tariff that previously existed" in certain sectors such as "aeronautics" "we can have that too," he added.

The French president also called for the EU's planned defence efforts to be "highlighted" in the discussion, as well as the fact that the 27 "will be buyers" of American "liquefied gas" in order to reduce their dependence on Russia.

Macron gave his position after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on the EU on Thursday to find a "quick and simple" agreement with the United States, prioritizing certain "key industries."

"We must now quickly achieve a result with the United States so that our companies can be relieved of the far too high customs duties they currently have to pay when exporting to the United States," Friedrich Merz said in a speech to a federation of German banks.