(Bloomberg) -- German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil urged restraint in the escalating trade dispute between the European Union and the US in an interview with Bild am Sonntag.
“We don’t need any more provocations now, but serious negotiations,” the German Sunday tabloid cited Klingbeil as saying. The minister said he had discussed “precisely this” with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
“The US tariffs are endangering the American economy at least as much as the German and European economies,” Klingbeil said. “This trade conflict harms everyone and must be ended quickly.”
At the same time, Europe is “united and determined to defend our interests,” the minister said.
Klingbeil’s comments echo the response from EU officials to US President Donald Trump’s threat on Friday to impose a 50% tariff on EU imports from June 1, which sent stocks on both sides of the Atlantic tumbling.
Trump accused the bloc of slow-walking negotiations and unfairly targeting US companies, saying it was “difficult to deal with” in “discussions that are going nowhere!” in a social media post.