French Minister for Industry and Energy Marc Ferracci (pictured) said on Wednesday that Europe will respond to United States President Donald Trump's incoming tariffs with "proportional" countermeasures.

"First, let's remember that this situation is not of our making. It is not Europe that initiated what could become, depending on tonight's announcements, the start of a trade war. Europe always prefers negotiation and de-escalation because trade wars only create losers," Ferracci said in an interview with French radio station RMC, noting that the trade war would impact consumers in both Europe and the US.

The French minister claimed that Europe will respond to the US tariffs by targeting the same amount of goods affected by Trump's tariffs. "Proportionality is crucial because we do not want to escalate the situation. However, when entering negotiations, we must demonstrate that we are capable of responding. That's what I believe the Commission will do very soon," Ferracci stated.