EU and US: Time to Talk Trade

Germany's finance chief, Lars Klingbeil, thinks the EU needs to step up its game in trade talks with the US. He believes the EU has been too soft in the past and should be more confident when talking to the US. He wants the EU to work closely with the US, even when things get tough. Klingbeil met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to talk about trade issues. They discussed how to handle cheap Chinese goods that are flooding both US and European markets. They also talked about the US taking over the G20 presidency later this year. The EU and US made a trade deal in July, but not everyone is happy with it. Some tariffs were lowered, but others, like those on steel and aluminum, remain high. Klingbeil wants to include a quota system for steel exports in the deal. Klingbeil thinks it's important for Germany to keep talking to the US. He believes that working together can help solve problems. But he also thinks the EU needs to be stronger in these talks. Trade talks can be complicated, but Klingbeil thinks it's important to keep talking. He believes that the EU and US can work together to solve problems, but the EU needs to be more confident in these talks.