Washington: US President Donald Trump has mocked French President Emmanuel Macron, claiming he forced France to sharply raise its prescription drug prices by threatening steep tariffs on French imports to the United States.

Addressing Republican lawmakers, Trump recounted what he described as a private exchange with Macron, during which he pressed Paris to increase medicine prices on the grounds that Americans were paying far more than consumers in France. The US President said Americans were paying “14 times” more for prescription drugs, an imbalance he argued was unfair.

According to Trump, Macron initially rejected the demand. The US President then claimed he issued an ultimatum, warning that unless France complied, Washington would impose a 25 per cent tariff on all French products entering the US, including wine and champagne.

Trump said the threat quickly changed Macron’s position. Mocking the French leader with a theatrical impression, Trump quoted him as saying: “Donald, you have a deal. I will increase my prescription drug prices by 200 per cent or whatever you want. Please don’t tell the population, I beg you.”

The Republican leader claimed that France subsequently raised the price of a pill from $10 to $30, while drug prices in the United States fell. He also asserted that the tariff he threatened was “42 times more expensive” than the increase he was seeking in drug prices.

Trump went on to say that France was not alone, claiming that other countries agreed to sharply raise their drug prices within minutes of being threatened with US tariffs. “Every country said the same thing,” he told the gathering, adding that some leaders agreed within an average of “3.2 minutes” to quadruple their prices.

The remarks come as Trump continues to promote his “Most Favoured Nation” policy, which seeks to lower prescription drug costs in the US by linking Medicare payments to the lowest prices charged by drugmakers in other developed countries. Trump has claimed the policy has already led to dramatic price reductions, ranging from “400 to 600 per cent”.

He also announced that reduced drug prices would be available from January through a new government website, TrumpRx.gov.

Neither President Macron nor the French government has issued an immediate response to Trump’s claims.