Bad, very bad: Trump’s blast at Germany’s trade with US
DONALD Trump caused a fresh diplomatic row last night after accusing Germany of ‘very bad’ behaviour over trade.
The President sparked fury in Germany after reports of the exchange with EU leaders leaked to the media.
Mr Trump described Germany as ‘bad, very bad’, during trade talks in Brussels earlier this week, according to news magazine Der Spiegel.
He reportedly added: ‘Look at the millions of cars they sell in the US. Terrible. We will stop this.’
One translation of his remarks suggested he had described the country, which has a huge trade surplus with the US, as ‘evil’.
The President’s brusque style has unnerved fellow leaders at the Nato meeting in Brussels and the G7 summit in Sicily this week – both attended by German chancellor Angela Merkel.
He lectured Nato leaders on Thursday, saying they owed billions in back payments.
He also hit headlines after shoving Montenegro prime minister Dusko Markovic out of the way to get to the front of a photo shoot.
Fellow leaders have been alarmed by Mr Trump’s protectionist instincts on trade, his reluctance to engage on climate change and his unwillingness to countenance taking refugees displaced by the Syrian crisis. Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, declined to comment on the row with Germany yesterday.
But, in an apparent swipe at President Trump, he said the world could ‘get out of hand’ if the US broke ranks with the West on key issues.
He said the gathering of G7 leaders threatened to be ‘the most challenging in years’, adding: ‘Unity has to be maintained when it comes to defending the rulesbased international order. If our group is not determined and united enough, the situation in the world can really get out of hand.’
White House economic adviser Gary Cohn later confirmed Mr Trump’s remarks, but insisted they did not represent a wider criticism of Germany.
‘He said they’re very bad on trade, but he doesn’t have a problem with Germany,’ Mr Cohn said.
He added that President Trump had pointed out during his meeting with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Mr Tusk that his father had German roots, to underscore the message that he had nothing against the German people.
His spokesman Sean Spicer said the President had ‘tremendous respect’ for Germany and only complained about unfair trade practices in the meeting.
Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised Germany’s large trade surplus with the US, which he said hurts American manufacturers. In January, he proposed a 35 per cent tax on German car imports, prompting BMW to point out that its biggest car plant in the world was in South Carolina.
A German government spokesman rejected Mr Trump’s remarks, saying trade surpluses are ‘neither good nor bad’.
Germany’s environment ministry has also dismissed US government claims that efforts to combat climate change will harm economic growth.