Targets of US tariffs

SIR – Germany has redefined its postwar relationship with the United States, to the extent that it now asserts the right to renege on its promise to spend 2 per cent of its GDP on defence, as per its Nato commitment, while running an annual $65billion trade surplus with the US and a $280billion account surplus with the rest of the world. This runs contrary to both the letter and the spirit of the world trading system that Germany purports to uphold.

Is it any wonder, then, that Donald Trump has resorted to trade sanctions to break Germany’s obduracy (Comment, June 3)? And why is there such deafening silence from Remainers on this topic? They are surely aware that Germany’s position is wholly untenable and that, were Britain not shackled to the EU customs union, it would almost certainly be exempt from punitive US sanctions.

Patrick Robertson

Founder, The Bruges Group London W1