Emmanuel Macron attacked Donald Trump for his “brutal” tariffs on the EU, as Ursula von der Leyen warned that Brussels was ready to hit back with punitive measures of its own.

The French president called on Europe to halt all investments in the United States after Mr Trump slapped the EU with a 20 per cent tariff. The tax is double the 10 per cent Washington levied on most imports.

“This decision will affect all sectors of our economies”, Mr Macron said after describing Trump’s announcement as “brutal”, “unfounded”, and a “shock to international trade”.

“We’re not naïve, so we’re going to protect ourselves,” he told an emergency meeting of business leaders in Paris, before calling for the suspension of European investment.

“What would be the message of having major European players investing billions of euros in the American economy at a time when they are hitting us?” Mr Macron asked.

Mr Macron said: “[Europeans] need to remain united and determined in this phase. And I say this also because I know what can happen – the biggest players have a tendency to go it alone, and that’s not a good idea.”

He said an EU response would come in two stages, with the first coming in mid-April. A second “more massive” response would come at the end of the month after discussions with member states.