U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz maintain a gathering within the Oval Workplace on the White Home on June 05, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Photographs Information | Getty Photographs
Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday stated Germany, Europe’s largest financial system, was able to take over a better management position on future commerce agreements because the United States and the EU race to succeed in a commerce deal earlier than a July 9 deadline.
Merz instructed reporters he had a productive assembly with U.S. President Donald Trump on the White Home on Thursday, and the two males had agreed to strengthen cooperation on commerce issues and different points.
Merz stated he and Trump spoke at size about commerce and tariffs throughout their assembly within the Oval Workplace, and over an prolonged lunch, the place Merz stated he highlighted the manufacturing services operated by German automakers within the United States.
“We are going to ship officers to additional deepen these matters. We wish to attain a mutual resolution,” Merz instructed reporters after the assembly, noting that whereas the European Union was accountable for setting commerce coverage, Germany had a big position to play given the dimension of its exports.
Trump has set a July 9 deadline for the 27-bloc European Union and different buying and selling companions to succeed in commerce offers and avert steep tariffs. U.S. and EU officers met in Paris on Wednesday and stated negotiations had been constructive and advancing shortly.
Europe, already going through a 50% tariff on metal and aluminum and a 25% levy on automobile imports, may see U.S. tariffs on different exports surge from 10% to as excessive as 50% if no deal is reached.
U.S. tariffs had been having a big impression on German automakers, he instructed CNN and Fox Information in separate interviews.
“These tariffs are … one thing which is admittedly threatening our financial system and we’re on the lookout for methods to deliver them down,” he instructed Fox Information. “Our conviction is that free commerce, open markets are the neatest thing for the mutual wealth of our nations.”
Merz instructed ZDF German tv that he instructed Trump that German automakers produced about 400,000 autos within the United States, in regards to the similar quantity as in Germany, with a few of these autos then exported again to Germany.
“There’s a steadiness,” he stated. “Can we not acknowledge that for each automobile that’s imported one other automobile is exported by the similar producer and drop the tariffs?”
Merz stated he would additionally tackle the challenge with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, including that there was scope and potential momentum to succeed in an answer.
“If a commerce dispute escalates, that hurts everybody, additionally hurts the German producers in America and the roughly a million households in America which are paid by German corporations,” he instructed Germany’s ProSieben tv station.
“I am optimistic that we’ll make progress. However we’re not but on the aim line.”