Is Trump's tariff war damaging NATO ally relations? Macron calls on businesses to suspend investment in the US In Brussels, due to Trump's tariff war damaging allied relations, there has been discussion about whether it violates Article 2 of NATO's agreement, which states that allies "should eliminate conflicts in international economic policies." In Paris, French President Macron said on the 3rd that the announced tariff measures by the US were "cruel and groundless," calling on businesses to suspend their investments in the US. The North Atlantic Treaty was first signed by 12 countries on April 4, 1949. Article 2 clearly stipulates that "the contracting parties should eliminate conflicts in their international economic policies." Therefore, Ruet was asked if Trump's tariff war violated this agreement. NATO Secretary-General Ruet stated at the press conference after the foreign ministers' meeting that the US was not in violation. Central News Agency report: Multiple journalists asked about the impact of Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" on the finances of Canada and European allies of NATO, which may force governments to allocate resources to rescue inflation and export industries, contradicting the US's goal of urging allies to increase defense spending. Ruet denied this and said that there have been many examples of disagreements between allies and tariff wars in the past, which did not violate Article 2 of the treaty. Ruet admitted that foreign ministers naturally discussed recent tariff issues during the meeting, but as secretary-general, his role focused solely on security affairs and therefore he would not comment. Additionally, French President Macron stated on the 3rd that the announced tariff measures by the US on the 2nd were "cruel and groundless," calling on businesses to suspend their investments in the US. Macron met with representatives from industries such as aviation, manufacturing, agriculture, and chemical engineering, as well as business association representatives at the Elysée Palace. He stated that the new announced tariff measures by the US will disrupt normal international trade operations and have a significant impact on Europe's economy and trade, affecting all economic sectors and exports in Europe. He called for businesses to suspend recent announced and future planned investments in the US until the US "clarifies the facts." Macron said that the EU is considering using all possible means to respond to the new US tariff measures. The EU must remain united and resolute, and countermeasures against these tariff measures will be based on "careful and industry-specific studies." He also said that these new tariff measures will first impact the US economy, inevitably making it weaker. French customs data shows that in 2023, the US was France's fourth largest export market, following Germany, Italy, and Belgium. Source: rfi Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1828519574602828/ Disclaimer: This article only represents the views of the author.