Former German Chancellor Merkel: The EU Should Not Fear US Tariffs

According to Jinse Finance, citing CCTV News, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated at an event in Athens, Greece, on July 2 local time that if tariffs imposed by the Trump administration lead to American citizens paying more for goods, then Trump himself will also be affected. Merkel emphasized that the European Union must remain united and should not be intimidated when Trump imposes additional tariffs on the EU, but should instead retaliate with its own tariffs. She stressed that the EU must negotiate with the United States to resolve tariff issues. U.S. President Trump has previously threatened that if there is no breakthrough in U.S.-EU trade talks by July 9, he will impose a 50% tariff on EU goods. Currently, the United States imposes a 50% tariff on EU steel and aluminum products, a 25% tariff on the automotive sector, and a 10% base tariff on almost all other goods.