Trump has issued an executive order on the issue

Paris (AFP) - The United States is not planning to verify foreign firms over their diversity programmes but needs certain companies to self-certify compliance with new US rules, two of its main European embassies said Wednesday, after a furore over an apparent warning sent to European companies.

“There is no ‘verification’ required beyond asking contractors and grantees to self-certify their compliance – in other words, we are just asking them to complete one additional piece of paperwork,” the US embassies in Paris and Berlin said in identical statements to AFP.

The spokespersons for both missions emphasised that the rule applied only to firms having contracts with or grants from US missions.

But their statements confirmed that US missions were reviewing all contracts and grants to “ensure they are consistent” with recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, in particular his order on “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” that targets diversity programmes.

The controversy comes at a tense time for trade relations between Europe and the United States with Trump poised to unveil sweeping new “Liberation Day” tariffs on Wednesday.

The European Union will respond to the new US tariffs “before the end of April”, according to the French government spokeswoman.

- ‘Not go back a millimetre’ -

France’s economy ministry said last week “a few dozen” French companies doing or looking to do business with the United States had received letters that included a questionnaire asking firms to certify they “do not practice programmes to promote diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI).

Designed to provide opportunities for people of colour, women and other historically excluded groups, DEI programmes have drawn the wrath of Trump and his followers, who say they are discriminatory and incompatible with meritocracy.

France’s foreign trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin said on Monday that he was “deeply shocked” and French Economy Minister Eric Lombard’s office has said Trump’s views of DEI “are not ours”.

Denmark’s Industry Minister Morten Bodskov also told AFP that “a response must naturally be discussed with our European colleagues”.

Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said the country “will not go back a millimetre” on diversity efforts in response to the US letter, which Belgian firms had also received.

But the embassy statements said Washington was only asking “contractors and grantees around the world to certify their compliance with applicable US federal anti-discrimination laws”.