German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she hoped the recent trade deal agreed between the EU and Japan would soon be followed by additional agreements with other partners, while speaking at the national maritime conference in the German city of Friedrichshafen on Wednesday.
“Any deal that lowers trade barriers for all those involved, is, I believe, a good deal,” she said.
Merkel went on to say that rather than avoiding any new or higher tariffs, Germany was more interested in improving it trade ties with the US in general.
The German leader also expressed satisfaction at the EU member states’ adoption of a mandate to start trade talks with the US.
Addressing the ongoing Brexit developments, Merkel stressed the importance of ensuring an orderly withdrawal. “And for the [German] federal government, a deal in which all the important questions for an orderly withdrawal are regulated is always better than no deal,” she said.
The chancellor also mentioned China as having been Germany’s most important trading partner in 2018, but she urged Beijing to ensure fair competitive conditions for German companies operating in the east Asian country; which she said were reciprocated in the EU.