German Chancellor Calls on Brussels to Reach an Agreement with US President Trump Quickly
German Chancellor Merkel said on Monday that the EU's approach in trade negotiations with the US was "too complicated" and called on Brussels to reach an agreement quickly with US President Trump.
Merkel said at an event hosted by the German Industry Association, "We now need to make joint decisions quickly on four or five major industries,"
"The Americans focus relatively simply on reaching an agreement with us on four or five major industries," Merkel said.
In contrast, the EU's negotiations were "too complicated," he said.
Now it is not the best time "to negotiate with the Americans on 400, 500, 600 different customs codes,"
According to AFP, Merkel said he would work with French President Macron and Italian Prime Minister Meloni to push for a quick agreement within the EU at this week's European Council summit.
He said such an agreement should cover industries "crucial" to the European economy. He listed the automotive, chemical, pharmaceutical, mechanical engineering, steel and aluminum industries.
He said, "I believe we can do this. This limited scope of agreement is consistent with what Washington is currently doing."
Dozens of countries are negotiating with Washington to reach some kind of trade agreement to alleviate the impact of US tariffs.
Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on the automotive industry, a 50% tariff on aluminum and steel, and a 10% basic tariff on all imported products.
The EU also faces a 20% so-called "reciprocal" tariff, which will come into effect on July 9.
In May this year, the UK became the first country to reach an agreement with Washington to avoid further tariff increases, including reducing import taxes on luxury cars in the UK and completely eliminating import taxes on steel and aluminum.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1835774454749192/
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