German government opposes boycotting American goods despite aggressive US trade policies

The German government has firmly opposed a boycott of American goods, as currently witnessed in other European countries in response to the ongoing trade disputes with the US.

Spokesperson for the German government, Steffen Hebestreit, ensured on March 26 that Berlin was interested in good relations and strong trade ties with the US, Caliber.Az reports citing German media.

He emphasized that for an export-driven nation like Germany it was essential to have "fewer trade barriers, not more," clarifying that the country could therefore not be supportive of such demands.

Dirk Jandura, president of the Federal Association of Wholesale, Foreign Trade, and Services (BGA), which represents Germany's import and export traders, also spoke against such boycotts in an interview with Reuters.

"We shouldn't bring an already complex situation further to a head. Rather than get embroiled in boycotts, tariffs and counter-tariffs, we should seek dialogue with the United States over the transatlantic trade questions of the future," said Jandura.

The administration of President Donald Trump has been imposing punitive tariffs on Europe and other countries. These cooling transatlantic relations in areas of trade and security have prompted calls in Europe and elsewhere to replace US products with home-made brands, particularly in Canada and Denmark — mainly in response to Trump's ambitions to make Canada the 51st US state and his interest in purchasing Greenland, which belongs to Denmark.

According to Reuters, the European market share of US carmaker Tesla continued to shrink in February. While a growing competition and a slowdown in European economies play a role in this downward motion, experts believe that support by the company's CEO, Elon Musk, for far-right parties in Europe, such as the AfD party in Germany, has added to the sales slump.

By Nazrin Sadigova