French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that a joint statement from Group of Seven nations was just a first step and marked an attempt to "stabilize things" as a trade dispute with the United States threatened to tear the alliance apart.

"This agreement...is good news and it marks a collective desire to stabilize things," Macron told reporters. "Nevertheless, I do not consider that with a declaration all is obtained and it is obvious that we will have in the coming weeks, the next months, to continue to work."