Germany fears its market may be flooded with Chinese goods
Political
Amid the trade dispute between China and the United States, Germany's market may be flooded with Chinese products. This was stated by Friedrich Merz, a potential future chancellor of Germany, in an interview with Funke Mediengruppe.
Every day, German consumers receive more than 400,000 parcels from China. "We need to resolve this issue as quickly as possible," said Merz. "Consumer protection, health, and product safety must be guaranteed. The European Commission must take urgent action," he emphasized.
Speaking about how Europe should respond to the U.S. government’s tariff policy, Merz noted that he is closely cooperating on the matter with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Germany's acting chancellor Olaf Scholz. “We are in constant dialogue with the head of government and largely share the same assessment of the situation,” Merz said.
According to Merz, under President Donald Trump, Washington’s political direction may remain unstable in the coming years. “I will discuss this with President Trump and try to understand what divides us and what unites us,” he said. The German politician also stated that he has planned a “timely” meeting with the head of the White House.
Berlin’s strategy toward Trump combines firmness and flexibility. “I rely on both. We must protect our interests but also continue seeking solutions,” said Merz.
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union believes the trade conflict ultimately harms all sides. In his opinion, the single goal should be to create an open and free transatlantic trade zone. “This is the only way to ensure prosperity for all,” he said. “In this regard, I share Elon Musk’s view: zero tariffs would benefit everyone,” Merz concluded.
Speaking about how Europe should respond to the U.S. government’s tariff policy, Merz noted that he is closely cooperating on the matter with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Germany's acting chancellor Olaf Scholz. “We are in constant dialogue with the head of government and largely share the same assessment of the situation,” Merz said.
According to Merz, under President Donald Trump, Washington’s political direction may remain unstable in the coming years. “I will discuss this with President Trump and try to understand what divides us and what unites us,” he said. The German politician also stated that he has planned a “timely” meeting with the head of the White House.
Berlin’s strategy toward Trump combines firmness and flexibility. “I rely on both. We must protect our interests but also continue seeking solutions,” said Merz.
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union believes the trade conflict ultimately harms all sides. In his opinion, the single goal should be to create an open and free transatlantic trade zone. “This is the only way to ensure prosperity for all,” he said. “In this regard, I share Elon Musk’s view: zero tariffs would benefit everyone,” Merz concluded.
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