U.S. punitive tariffs on European car imports damage, according to the German industry Association VDA also the American manufacturers. It would benefit no-one, but only “the world trade and international value chains weaknesses,” said the President of the German Association of the automotive industry (VDA), Bernhard Mattes, the Passauer Neue Presse. The U.S.-punitive tariffs would be “a significant burden, not only for the European automotive industry, but also for the U.S.,” said Matt. Also from the point of view of Daniel Caspary, the Chairman of the CDU/CSU group in the European Parliament, duties are also a threat to the U.S. auto industry.
on the one Hand, U.S. manufacturers are also in long international supply chains involved. On the other hand, German companies manufacture in the USA cars. BMW, Mercedes and VW have built in the past year in the country, about 750,000 cars and deal including subcontractors on site 118.000 people. BMW’s US plant in Spartanburg is the second-most important location to Shenyang in China – all the big SUV cars from X4 to X7 to be built there, also for Export to Europe and China. Mercedes builds in the US plant in Tuscaloosa is also the large SUV GLS, GLE and GLE coupe for all markets, and the C-class for the US market.
The US Department of Commerce had presented to President Donald Trump, is an assessment of whether the Import of cars and supplied parts to the national security of the United States affected. The portfolio represents, in fact, this point of view, could decide the US President within 90 days, whether or not he wants to impose higher duties.
cars are no threat to national security
This would hit Germany particularly. Therefore, the Federal government is trying to find a solution at the negotiating table, said government spokesman Steffen Seibert. The content of the report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, not the government. Also, when exactly will be announced the assessment of the Ministry officially.
The FDP foreign policy expert Alexander Graf Lambsdorff calls for a significant response, should collect the new duties. “German cars are no threat to national security for the United States – are to be built as the many even there. Illegal duties must not and we will not allow ourselves,” he said of the Heilbronner Stimme.
The EU announced for the new US duties, retaliatory steps. “Trump has given me his word that there is no auto tariffs,” said EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the Stuttgarter Zeitung and the Stuttgarter Nachrichten. He considered the statement to be resilient. “Should he break his word, we will buy us in our commitment to more U.S. soy, and liquefied petroleum gas, also not bound to feel,” said Juncker.
“Economic Declaration of war”
Juncker and Trump had agreed in July that talks about the removal of trade barriers. The threatened U.S. tariffs were initially off the table. Also, the Chairman of the trade Committee in the European Parliament, Bernd Lange (SPD), called it, according to the editors ‘ network-Germany “absolutely unthinkable that European cars could pose a danger to the national security of the United States”.
the Chairman of The European Green party, Reinhard Bütikofer, calling it “would impose an economic Declaration of war on the EU and Germany,” Trump actual duties.
