German Chancellor-designate: Trump tariffs increase risk of financial crisis

Mars Finance News, on April 13, the incoming German Chancellor Merz stated that Trump's tariff policies have increased the risk of a financial crisis and advocated for a US-EU free trade agreement. He said: "I hope to reach a new transatlantic free trade agreement with zero tariffs on everything, which would be good for both sides." The EU has proposed "zero-zero" reciprocal tariffs on US industrial products. Trump told reporters on Monday that this proposal was not enough, suggesting that Europe should offset tariffs by purchasing US energy. Merz said that if the US decides to completely withdraw from global trade, Europe would have to focus on non-US markets. Merz stated: "Trump's policies are increasing the risk of the next financial crisis arriving early. We Europeans need to come up with a compelling countermeasure." (Jinshi)