Germany's Merz Says EU Stands Ready to Strike Back at U.S. Tariffs
"We are neither naive nor defenseless. We have instruments at hand," Merz declared before chief executives and top-tier industry officials attending the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, Belgium. "To counter unfair practices, we will use them, if necessary."
The chancellor referenced a recent confrontation between Washington and European capitals over Denmark's Arctic territory of Greenland, highlighting how US President Donald Trump retreated from additional tariff implementation after EU leadership demonstrated collective resolve.
"You might remember what happened in this famous week of Davos," he stated, alluding to the emergency gathering where EU leaders assembled to formulate responsive countermeasures. "As long as the American government was on the way to implement new tariffs on the European partners, we were ready to act."
Merz underscored the bloc's preparedness to execute defensive trade actions, stating: "And if the Americans had not withdrawn until then, their threat of new tariffs, we were ready to implement these countermeasures," Merz added. "Again, we are not naive and we are not defenseless."
The German leader stressed that the EU demonstrates formidable strength through unified action.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.