U.S. Presses French Companies to Comply With Trump’s Anti-Diversity Policies

For months, French companies have reinforced for the relapse of commercial wars and tariff threats From the United States as the effects of the “America First” policies of President Trump collide. But last week, the French corporate world was chased by another type of Trump letter.

In a concise letter of three paragraphs sent by the American embassy to France to French companies, the managers was told that the moves of President Trump to eliminate the policies of diversity, equity and inclusion would apply to any company by making business with the government of the United States. He said he was giving them five days to sign a form indicating that they would respected.

A Executive order That Mr. Trump signed the day after the entry in office educated to the federal contractors not to engage in gods, that the order described as “illegal discrimination”. The letter to French companies stated that the order “applies to all suppliers and contractors of the United States government, regardless of their nationality and the country in which they operate”.

“If you do not accept to sign this document, we would appreciate it if I could provide detailed reasons, which we will mean our legal services,” said the letter. The accompanying module added that companies must certify “that do not manage any program that promotes”

The notice caused a feeling in the French corporate world and aroused an answer to the French government.

“This practice reflects the values ​​of the new American government. They are not ours,” said the Ministry of Economy in a statement last Friday. The Minister of the French Economy, Eric Lombard, “will remember his counterparts within the American government of this,” says the declaration.

It was not immediately clear how many companies received the letter or how applicable it was. But several members of the French association of private companieswho include companies listed by the French CAC-40 and dozens of other important French companies, they expressed their dismay for a meeting with French government officials this week.

Mr. Trump’s disaster orders have Sown fear and confusion among the corporate leaders in the United States and Guided companies like GoogleAs well as American law firms and some universities, to restore the objectives of diversity. But the efforts of the Trump administration to impose his policies for the work forces based in Europe were met with resistance to places like Italy This has long had strong laws at work that favor workers’ rights.

In France, companies have worked for years to increase the presence of women, members of minority groups and employees with disabilities, generally expanding their work forces to reflect the composition of French society.

Unlike the United States, French diversity policies officially exclude consideration of the race in hiring. Even so, French companies have moved into practice to increase the diversity of employees and communicate their efforts to shareholders. In addition, companies with over 250 employees are legally required to have over 40 percent of women in their boards of directors.

A spokesman for the French association of private companies said that the group was waiting for the government to carry out a “coordinated response” to the letter from the Trump administration.

Catherine Porter Contributed relationships.