German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday pushed back against Donald Trump's renewed criticism of Germany's trade surplus. The US president earlier told European Union officials that Germany was "very bad" on trade.

Trump's attack on the trade disparity, especially on the automobile industry, has stirred up attention once again. German companies like BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen have been assembling their cars in the United States. Together, the three automakers employ tens of thousands of people at US factories and dealerships. These factories are situated in the several states that voted for Trump in the 2016 election, including South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. 

In response to Trump's accusation, Merkel highlighted the extent of job-creating German direct investment in the US. Merkel said she had explained to Trump during the G7 summit in Sicily, Italy on Friday that the surplus was part of factors that were out of Germany's control.