Statement issued by the German government on the decision of the United States of America to impose tariffs
Steffen Seibert, Spokesperson of the Federal Government, issued the following statement:
The Federal Government rejects the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on steel and aluminum. We consider this unilateral action a violation of international trade rules; the cited grounds of national security do not hold. Instead, the measure threatens to escalate into a downward spiral, which will ultimately be detrimental to everyone.
At the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia, the Heads of State and Government had reaffirmed their common goal of achieving a permanent EU exemption from the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum. Under this condition, the EU had stated its willingness to enter into talks with the U.S. on the four major points agreed in Sofia.
Within the EU, we will now analyze in detail the U.S. President’s decision not to grant a permanent exemption. The EU has made the necessary preparations to enable it to respond with appropriate counter-measures.
Our position stands: The Federal Government will continue to work towards free trade and open markets. We will continue the multilateral approach, not least within the framework of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, which was furthered under Germany’s G20 Presidency.