German minister urges ‘serious talks’ with US on tariffs

AFP | Berlin

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German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil on Sunday urged “serious negotiations” with the United States after President Donald Trump threatened to bring in 50-percent tariffs on imports from the European Union.

Trump made the threat on Friday, saying “discussions (with the EU) are going nowhere” and adding that the tariffs would be applied from June 1 -- just a week away.

If imposed, they would dramatically raise Washington’s current baseline levy of 10 percent, and fuel simmering tensions between two of the world’s economic heavyweights.

Klingbeil told the Bild newspaper that “we don’t need any further provocations, but serious negotiations” and added that he had spoken with his US counterpart Scott Bessent about the matter.