Germany’s Merz says EU strategy in US tariff talks ‘too complicated’

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said that the European Union’s approach in trade talks with the United States was “too complicated” and called for Brussels to strike a swift deal with President Donald Trump.

“We need rapid, joint decisions for four or five major industries now,” Merz said at an event hosted by the Federation of German Industry.

Such a deal should cover sectors which were “vitally important” to the European economy, Merz said. As examples, he named the auto industry, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering, steel and aluminium.

“I believe we can achieve that,” he said, adding that such a limited-scope deal was in line with the approach being taken by Washington.

“The Americans… are focussing relatively simply on making agreements with us on four or five major industries,” Merz said.

The EU by contrast was negotiating “far too complicatedly”, he said. 

It was the “wrong time” to be “negotiating 400, 500, 600 different customs codes with the Americans”.