Merkel Says She’s Open to Car Tariff Talks, Though Only Globally
- German leaders responds as U.S. tariffs on European cars loom
- U.S. envoy in Berlin said to have met German auto CEOs
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Chancellor Angela Merkel put the brakes on a discussion between the U.S. and German carmakers to take EU-U.S. car tariffs to zero, saying she’s only open to talks that conform with global rules.
News of a reprieve in trade tension -- in contrast to latest threats of a 20 percent tariff by President Donald Trump -- sent industry shares soaring Thursday. A spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Berlin later tempered the plan, first reported by Handelsblatt, to say no offer had been put on the table and the meeting served as a discussion, not a negotiation.