Trump's tariffs could overshadow the red carpet as Macron meets King Charles

As French President Emmanuel Macron begins a three-day authorities sojourn to the U.K. connected Tuesday, it's U.S. President Donald Trump's unpredictable planetary tariffs menace that could overshadow the pomp and pageantry that is being laid retired by London.

Macron and his woman Brigitte were greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, arsenic they arrived successful England Tuesday morning, earlier being whisked disconnected to conscionable King Charles III and Queen Camilla successful Windsor, wherever a authorities banquet volition beryllium held later.

During the U.K. visit, the French president volition conscionable concern leaders and Prime Minister Keir Starmer for talks, which are expected to absorption connected "joint priorities" including migration, trade, defence and security, the U.K. authorities said.

Looming ample is the thorny contented of Washington and however to grip Trump and his unwieldy and unpredictable tariffs authorities that could impact severely interaction European and planetary economical growth.

On Monday, Trump shared screenshots connected societal media of signed "letters" that were purportedly sent to 14 countries, including Japan, South Korea and South Africa, telling them that they faced a steep hike successful commercialized tariffs from Aug. 1. The archetypal July 9 deadline for higher tariffs has been extended.

White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that further letters volition beryllium sent retired successful the coming days. That has enactment the European Union (EU), which did not person a "letter" connected Monday, connected notice.

Hopes are rising that a U.S.-EU commercialized woody could beryllium inked this week though however beneficial — oregon disadvantageous — it volition beryllium to Brussels remains a large chartless arsenic Macron, who leads the bloc's second-largest economy, travels to the U.K.

"The EU is reportedly rushing to reason a woody with the U.S., perchance by the extremity of this week already," Holger Schmieding, main economist astatine Berenberg Bank, noted Tuesday, emphasizing that "major stumbling blocks remain."

"The EU seems to person grudgingly accepted that the existent 10% U.S. basal tariff successful summation to immoderate sectoral tariffs cannot beryllium negotiated away. The EU inactive hopes to get immoderate constricted exemptions from these tariffs, for illustration for craft and craft parts, truthful that the wide emergence successful the mean U.S. tariff connected imports from the EU this twelvemonth volition beryllium beneath 10 percent points. The U.S. is truthful acold threatening to enforce higher tariffs than that," helium said.

Britain is surely pulling retired the stops for Macron's authorities visit, which volition person each the pomp and pageantry that the state excels at.

On Tuesday, the Macrons were met by the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, earlier being accompanied to Windsor, wherever they were acceptable to instrumentality portion successful a carriage procession with King Charles III and Queen Camilla, earlier attending a glamorous authorities banquet connected tract connected Tuesday evening.

The king is expected to present a code astatine the commencement of the authorities sojourn successful which helium says that the U.K. and France "face a multitude of analyzable threats, emanating from aggregate directions. As friends and arsenic allies, we look them together. These challenges cognize nary borders: nary fortress tin support america against them this time," according to Sky News.

The Macrons are known to person a lukewarm narration with the British royals. Tellingly, the king past won plaudits from Paris erstwhile helium addressed the French Senate successful some English and French, which helium speaks fluently, during a authorities sojourn successful 2023.

Macron is besides owed to code lawmakers successful London astir 4 p.m. London time connected Tuesday, volition conscionable concern leaders successful London connected Wednesday and volition clasp talks astatine a France-British acme with Starmer connected Thursday.

This is the archetypal authorities sojourn by an EU person connected British ungraded since the U.K. acrimoniously near the bloc successful 2020 pursuing the 2016 Brexit referendum. The British authorities said the sojourn "will supply a historic opportunity to showcase the breadth of the U.K.-France relationship."

Starmer, who seems to person ingratiated himself with Trump contempt their antithetic governmental persuasions, mightiness beryllium capable to springiness Macron immoderate tips connected however to triumph implicit their transatlantic ally, arsenic the EU continues commercialized negotiations with Washington.

Trump stated matter-of-factly that the U.K. was the archetypal state to onslaught a commercialized woody with Washington, and was apt to beryllium protected from aboriginal tariffs, "because I similar them." Macron has meantime had a trickier thrust with the U.S. leader, who has humiliated him more than once. In June, astatine the past G-7 meeting, Trump lambasted Macron arsenic "publicity seeking."