European parliament trade chief calls for firm response to new US tariff threats

Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's international trade committee, on Saturday denounced new US tariff threats on European cars and trucks as "unacceptable" and urged a firm, united response.

In a statement, Lange rejected Washington's accusations that the EU had failed to comply with bilateral trade commitments, saying the claims were unfounded. He said the latest tariff threat demonstrated a lack of respect for EU sovereignty and further exposed the unreliability of US trade policy.

Lange stressed that clear rules remain the only effective response to what he described as arbitrary pressure from Washington. He called for the activation of EU anti-coercion tools to address what is viewed as economic blackmail.

The remarks came after Trump said in a social media post on Friday that the United States would raise import tariffs on EU-made automobiles next week, accusing the bloc of failing to honor a bilateral trade agreement with Washington. Trump said tariffs on European cars would increase to 25%, while vehicles manufactured in the United States would be exempt.

The proposed measures have triggered concern among German economists, many of whom warned that higher US tariffs could significantly affect Germany's economy and automotive industry as Germany accounts for a large share of the EU's automobile exports to the United States.

Ferdinand Dudenhoffer, founder of the Center for Automotive Research in Germany, said that other European countries export relatively fewer vehicles to the US market, meaning the burden of the tariffs would be concentrated more heavily on German companies.

Moritz Schularick, president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, said if the tariff measures are implemented, it would have a "substantial impact" on Germany's economy. Experts at the institute estimate that the policy could reduce Germany's real economic output by about 0.3%, further weighing on an economy already experiencing sluggish growth.

Some economists also argued that the tariff threat appears to be a political pressure tactic. Marcel Fratzscher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research, said Europe must adopt a tougher position and "can no longer yield to pressure," warning that failure to respond decisively would further raise costs for European businesses, particularly German exporters.