PARIS - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Monday that the European Union (EU) would retaliate if the United States imposes tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

"There is no hesitation when it comes to defending our interests," Barrot told French television TF1.

"It's not a surprise. This is what (US President) Donald Trump did in 2018. At that time we retaliated. So this time, we will retaliate again," he said.

Asked about the list of goods subject to the retaliatory tariffs, Barrot said that the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, will determine that matter.

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On Sunday, Trump announced plans to impose new 25-percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, with an official statement expected on Monday.

During his first term, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports, citing national security concerns. But he later granted duty-free quotas to certain trading partners, including Canada, Mexico and Brazil. The EU then applied tariffs to a list of US products in retaliation.   

Also on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that tariffs on the  EU are not in the interests of the United States.

READ MORE: Trump says to announce reciprocal tariffs on many countries next week

"If you want Europe to be engaged on more investment in security ... which I think is in the interests of the US, you should not hurt the European economies by threatening it with tariffs," Macron told CNN in an interview aired on Sunday, stressing that Europe is a US ally.

If Washington puts tariffs on many sectors, that will increase the costs of goods and bring inflation in the United States, warned Macron.