Brad Pitt bats away questions over Donald Trump’s threat to impose levies on French wine, including his own label, and says the president is ‘a much bigger threat on more serious issues’
- Pitt, 55, was being interviewed by French media outlet Journal du Dimanche
- Actor is busy promoting his new film, Ad Astra, in which he plays an astronaut
- Pitt was asked about Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on imported French wine
- Trump threatened tariffs after France proposed tax on American tech giants
- Pitt and ex-wife Angelina Jolie are co-owners of the Chateau Miraval vineyard in southeastern France
- The vineyard produces the best-selling Miraval Rose as well as olive oil
Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt says President Trump poses a ‘threat’ on ‘serious issues.’
The actor, who is promoting Ad Astra, a new film in which he plays an astronaut, was asked by a French news outlet about the president’s threat to impose tariffs on French wine.
‘I do not know [enough about the issue],’ Pitt, 55, told Journal du Dimanche.
‘I think we will always drink rose in the United States. If there is a threat to the winemakers, it is a real concern.
But he added that he thought there were more important issues at stake during the Trump presidency.
‘Unfortunately, it’s almost anecdotal,’ he said. ‘Trump represents a much bigger threat on such more serious issues.’
Pitt has a financial interest in making sure that wines produced in France are sold freely in the United States.
Aside from his flourishing career as a Hollywood A-lister, Pitt is also the co-owner of the Chateau Miraval vineyard, which produces the best-selling Miraval Rose. He co-owns it with ex Angelina Jolie, and they remain business partners.
Brad Pitt, 55, doesn’t appear too concerned about President Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on wine imported from France, saying: ‘Trump represents a much bigger threat on such more serious issues’
The president has threatened to impose tariffs on French wine in retaliation for the French government’s plan to tax American tech giants
The president in recent weeks has threatened to levy tariffs on French wine.
Trump is angry over French proposals to impose a tax on American technology giants.
Earlier this summer, the French government floated a proposal to collect a 3 percent tax on US digital companies who provided services in France.
The new tax will apply to tech companies that earn more than $825 million in revenue globally and $27.5 million in France.
That means companies like Amazon, Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, and Google will have to pay 3 percent of whatever revenue they generate in France.
Trump was angered by the proposal and threatened to hit back by slapping tariffs on French wine.
On July 26, he tweeted: ‘France just put a digital tax on our great American technology companies.
‘If anybody taxes them, it should be their home Country, the USA.
‘We will announce a substantial reciprocal action on Macron’s foolishness shortly.
‘I’ve always said American wine is better than French wine!’
During high-level meetings at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France last month, France and the United States reached a deal to end the standoff, though Trump declined to say whether his threat of a retaliatory wine tax was off the table as a result.
The compromise struck between French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump’s White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow foresees France repaying companies the difference between the French tax and a planned mechanism being drawn up by the OECD.
Pitt and his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, are co-owners of a vineyard in southeastern France that produces a bestselling rose wine. The couple, whose divorce became final in April of this year, is seen above in 2007
Pitt and Jolie’s vineyard is located in the southeastern French village of Correns.
Pitt and Jolie purchased the 2,500-acre estate in Miraval in 2011. The couple paid 31 million euros, which is equivalent today to $34.1 million.