German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday said he was "really committed" to finding a trade solution with the U.S., telling German public broadcaster ARD that he will work intensively on this with von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron over the next two and a half weeks. Asked about the impact of a 30% U.S. tariff on Germany, Merz said: "If that were to happen, we would have to postpone large parts of our economic policy efforts because it would interfere with everything and hit the German export industry to the core." The latest salvo from Trump and the question of how to respond may test the unity of member states, with France appearing to take a tougher line than Germany, the bloc's industrial powerhouse whose economy leans heavily on exports.
Published at: 2025-07-13 21:35:30
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