Merz slams EU's slow tariff talks, calls for quick US trade deal

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has criticized the EU's negotiating style in the tariff conflict with the US. "This European Union is negotiating far too complicatedly," Merz said on Monday at an event organized by the Federation of German Industries (BDI) in Berlin. "The Americans are what they are – relatively simply focused on reaching an agreement with us on four or five major industries."

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He pointed to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had signed a high-profile agreement on customs issues with US President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in Canada last week. "Germany can't do that, France can't do that. We can only do that together in the European Union," Merz said. But negotiating hundreds of "different customs codes with the Americans now is the wrong time and the wrong issue," Merz continued.

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"We now need rapid joint decisions for four or five major industries," he demanded. "The automotive industry, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering. These sectors are vitally important to us – steel, aluminum. We need a quick agreement with the Americans."

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He was confident that this was possible. French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and he were trying "to present this together in Brussels," Merz continued. "We will say the same thing again this week at the EU summit."

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Things now need to be faster and easier. "We don't want the best of the best, but the most important of the necessary," Merz said. "We have to achieve that now."

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US President Donald Trump's tariff policy has triggered a trade conflict with trading partners around the world. At the beginning of April, the US president imposed high additional tariffs on numerous countries, but shortly thereafter reduced them to 10 percent for 90 days. Certain products, such as cars and auto parts, are subject to an increased tariff rate of 25 percent. In May, Trump also threatened to increase the general tariff rate for the EU to 50 percent.