French Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin said Paris is prepared for a “show of strength” with the United States if negotiations over looming tariffs collapse, arguing that power dynamics are the only language understood by President Donald Trump. Diplomats say France is now canvassing other member states to activate the European Union’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, the bloc’s most far-reaching trade defence tool, should talks fail to deliver a deal by 1 August. Several governments are open to the move but want to exhaust negotiations first. Trump warned on 12 July that Washington will impose a 30% duty on EU imports from next month unless an accord is reached. In response, the European Commission has circulated a draft package of retaliatory measures worth €72 billion. The ACI—operational since December 2023 but never used—would allow Brussels to levy tariffs, quotas or procurement bans against the US.