German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has expressed continued optimism regarding the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.
Speaking on Tuesday following a cabinet meeting in Bavaria, Merz confirmed he maintains close contact with both the U.S. President and the President of the European Commission. His stated objective remains to swiftly achieve a resolution that facilitates trade with the United States and anticipates the reinstatement of lower tariffs. “It will not be easy, but I remain confident that we will succeed” he remarked.
Merz emphasized that negotiations have a timeline extending until the end of July. He highlighted efforts made over the weekend to prevent the implementation of reciprocal tariffs, which would have automatically taken effect the previous day. He also cautioned against underestimating the European Union’s readiness to respond with similar measures should the U.S. government impose excessively high tariffs. “We are prepared within the European Union, but we are hoping for a negotiated solution”.