US President Donald Trump has threatened the European Union, “one of the most hostile and cruel taxing bodies in the world”, to impose 200% tariffs on “all wines, champagnes and spirits coming from France and other countries represented in the EU”.

In a post on the Truth Social network, he wrote that this would be in response to the EU's plans to impose “disgusting 50 percent tariffs” on US whiskey.

According to the US president, Washington's proposed retaliatory measures “will be good for the wine and champagne business in the US”.