Arnaud Montebourg, the newly-appointed French minister for “industrial revival” has promised to revive old plans for a carbon tariff at the EU’s borders. Matthias Machnig, a former German environment minister, famously called the French idea “eco imperialism”.
Arnaud Montebourg, the newly-appointed French minister for “industrial revival” who has built a reputation for his fierce attacks against globalisation, has promised to revive old plans by Nicolas Sarkzoy for a carbon tariff at the EU’s borders, an idea previously rejected as protectionist among France’s European partners.
“We must demand reciprocity,” Montebourg told French public television during his first interview as minister, saying he will revive plans for a carbon tariff at the EU’s borders to protect local industry from unfair competition.
“This is an external tax,” he explained when asked whether this would mean imposing tariffs on products imported from China, where industries are not subject to CO2 emission limits.
The plan was “already on the agenda of the European Commission,” Montebourg claimed.
This may prove as popular as the EU’s extraterritorial tax on airplanes. Freedom fries, anyone?
In the past I regretted that I had very limited travel to Europe. Now I see that I’m not missing much. This idiot trying to start a trade war? If so, they probably lose.