A split between the allies: Germany vs. the EU

The trade war between the USA and the European Union is increasing its speed. Mass media outlets, including PRAVDA.Ru, have already reported that European countries are considering the introduction of increased tariffs on imported American goods, such as food products, motorbikes, clothes, ect., in response to the US decision to increase steel tariffs. These measures are meant to compensate for the losses of the European steel manufacturers.

However, it turned out that there was no unity within the EU on the subject. Germany became an outsider. This country stands against the escalation of the trade war with the USA. Although it supported the EU’s decision to increase steel tariffs on March 27 (no wonder, the steel industry in Germany is very a well-developed industry). As the German Economic Minister Werner Muller said in an interview to the Berlin radio station DeutschlandRadio, Germany will not support sanctions by European Union against the USA, since it might cause damage to the German economy, taking into consideration the fact that Germany exports annually $55 billion worth of goods to the USA, of which 41% are automobiles. Furthermore, German vehicles fall under the category of expensive. German automobile companies are absolutely not interested in losing the American market, for it would be impossible to compensate such a loss.

Berlin’s position is not surprising. German steel manufacturers have perfect protectors of their interests in the USA with the American automobile giants, which import steel from Germany. We will not give the names of those companies, but it is only enough to say that there is a joint German-American company. This company has enough power to protect all German steel manufacturers. There should be one more thing mentioned. All the talk about European unity is losing its attraction when it contradicts the interests of individual countries, especially when it harms the leaders of the EU, and Germany is surely one of the strongest EU countries.

Therefore, the USA has shown once again who is the master of the world economy (and politics). The claims of the European Union of independence have so far been limited to cheap words.

Oleg Artyukov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov