French finance minister backs foreign minister over LVMH-Tiffany intervention

[PARIS] French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Monday backed an intervention by the country's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in French luxury goods giant LVMH's plans to back out of a takeover of US jeweller Tiffany.

"Mr Le Drian took the decision which appeared to him to be the right one," Mr Le Maire told France 2 television, adding that Mr Le Drian was working to protect French interests in his intervention on the LVMH-Tiffany deal.

Last week, LVMH said its board had received a letter from the French foreign ministry asking it to delay the acquisition of Tiffany to beyond Jan 6, 2021, given the threat of additional US tariffs against French products.

Both Tiffany and LVMH have started a legal battle regarding the state of the deal.

Tiffany sued LVMH after the French company said it could not complete the US$16 billion takeover of Tiffany due to the French government request.

LVMH also said it said would counter-sue Tiffany, accusing it of mismanagement during the coronavirus crisis after the US jeweller accused the French group of trying to bow out of a US$16 billion acquisition deal.

REUTERS