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Germany should look beyond the trade agreement between the United States and the European Union, which imposes 15% tariffs on European products, to seek new trading partners in the coming years, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
"How will we handle global trade if, for example, the Americans are no longer willing to play by the rules of the World Trade Organization?" he said during the government's Open Day, an event where citizens can visit institutions in Berlin and participate in discussions.
"We must look for partners in the world who share the same vision as us," added Merz, the leader of the conservative CDU, whose approval ratings are at 25%, the same level as the AfD, according to an INSA Institute poll published in the Bild newspaper.
The preliminary trade agreement of July 28 was reached between Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen.
"We need good economic relations with the United States and could have escaped it relatively painlessly," Merz said, noting that new trade opportunities could open up in South America, Asia and Africa, which should be beneficial to both sides.
"We must continue resolutely on this path," he stressed.
He also referred to the need to address key issues related to social security systems by the end of the year, arguing that the government must contain spending on employment benefits, pensions and health benefits.
"We need to adapt our social systems to be ready for the future," he concluded.
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