Germany should look for new trade partners

25/8/2025 7:19

Germany should look beyond a trade deal between the United States and the European Union that slaps 15% tariffs on EU goods by finding new trade partners in coming years, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday.



"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 said at a government Open Day, an event where people can visit Berlin institutions and participate in discussions.



"We should search for partners in the world that share our thinking," added Merz , leader of the conservative CDU party whose approval rating stands at 25% - level with Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) - according to an INSA poll published by newspaper Bild this weekend.



The July 28 framework trade deal was brokered between U.S. President Donald Trump and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.