Post by : Meena Ariff

US President Donald Trump has stated that he effectively urged French President Emmanuel Macron to increase drug prices in France by using the threat of significant trade tariffs. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday, Trump recounted the conversation while advocating for lower prescription drug costs in the United States.

The 79-year-old Republican remarked that he had specifically pressured Macron to elevate medicine prices across Europe, arguing that Americans face unjustly high costs for the same medications. Trump described Macron's initial refusal to consider the proposition.

According to Trump, the French president resisted his appeal multiple times, leading the US leader to intensify his demands. He claimed he ultimately warned Macron that non-compliance would lead to a 25 percent tariff on all French goods imported into the United States.

Trump indicated that this warning shifted the conversation significantly, noting that Macron's eventual reply of, “I see,” was interpreted by Trump as a form of consent.

The former president has continually maintained that European countries benefit from lower drug prices while American consumers bear the higher costs. His belief is that enforcing increased prices abroad could enable pharmaceutical entities to lower expenses for American patients.

Earlier this summer, the United States and the European Union struck a trade agreement instituting a 15 percent tariff on most European goods entering the US market. Nonetheless, since this agreement, French authorities have yet to announce any changes in drug pricing policy.

There has been no official backing from the French government regarding Trump's claims, nor any indication that France has modified its pharmaceutical pricing policies based on the purported discussion.

Trump's comments arise as he continues to emphasize assertive trade strategies as a defining aspect of his governance, particularly during ongoing discussions concerning healthcare expenses and international trade dynamics.

#World News #Trade #US News