France and Germany propose new rapid EU trade response tool

​France ​and Germany have ‌proposed that ​the European Union toughen itself ‌up with a new measure that could be activated rapidly ‌to strike back against countries ‌that harm the bloc economically in a new world where trade ⁠is ​increasingly ⁠used as a weapon.

The new measure ⁠would not target any ​specific country. German officials said the ⁠EU needed a tool as ⁠powerful ​as the Section 301 tariffs imposed by the ⁠United States or China's restrictions on ⁠exports ⁠of critical minerals.