Chancellor Merz believes Germany should seek for new trading partners
Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Sunday that Germany should seek out new trading partners in the upcoming years in order to move past a trade agreement between the US and the EU that imposes 15% tariffs on EU exports.
“How do we handle world trade if for example the Americans are no longer prepared to play by the rules of the World Trade Organisation?” Merz spoke during a government Open Day, a gathering where citizens can tour Berlin’s institutions and engage in dialogue.
According to an INSA poll released by tabloid Bild this weekend, Merz, the leader of the conservative CDU party, whose approval rating is at 25%, is on par with Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD). Merz went on to say, “We should look for partners in the world that share our thinking.”
U.S. President Donald Trump and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen mediated the framework trade agreement on July 28.
Merz stated, “We need good economic relations with the U.S., and we may have got off lightly,” adding that trade opportunities should be advantageous to both parties and could arise in South America, Asia, and Africa.
“We must consistently go down that road,” he stated.
Merz also asserted that the government must limit welfare spending on health, pension, and job benefits, and that fundamental issues pertaining to social security systems must be resolved before the end of the year.
“We have to make our social security systems fit for the future,” he stated.
