Mercedes to LVMH Are Blunting the EU’s Fight Against Trump’s Tariffs

German automaker Mercedes-Benz Group AG, French luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE and other major European firms are spearheading a corporate push that’s weakening the European Union’s efforts to stand up to Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

In a bid to head off a transatlantic trade war, some executives have held back-channel meetings with US officials to pursue their own interests. The initiatives have included pressing European governments and Brussels for a quick deal and removing iconic American products — such as bourbon — from a list of goods to be targeted in retaliation to defuse the potential for escalation, according to people familiar with the matter.