India, April 6 -- The French finance minister, Eric Lombard, said on Saturday that the European Union (EU) could respond to the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump by regulating the use of data by American big tech groups, among other measures.

In an interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Lombard pointed out that the EU had several tools at its disposal.

"We have several tools at our disposal at the European level: regulatory, fiscal, and customs. For example, we can strengthen certain environmental requirements or regulate the use of data by certain digital players," he said in the interview.

According to Lombard, EU rules also allow for taxes on certain American activities, with all the options remaining open...