U.S. proposes tariffs on French imports, including smallwares

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has determined that France’s Digital Services Tax is burdensome on U.S. commerce. The 3 percent tax applies to the annual French revenue of U.S. tech firms like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. In response, USTR proposed Section 301 tariffs of up to 100 percent on numerous French imports, including cheese, wine, cast iron cookware, and china and porcelain. France and the European Union have threatened to retaliate if the U.S. proceeds with the tariffs.

Dec. 30 is the deadline to submit a request to appear at the Jan. 7 public hearing to discuss the proposed tariffs. Written comments are due Jan. 6. Post-hearing rebuttal comments will be due Jan. 14. Complete information is in the Federal Register.