Regarding US steel tariffs, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said “we have a common position. We want a permanent exemption and then we are ready to talk how we can reciprocally reduce the barriers to trade.” That’s seen as having a firm stance as US has to concede the steel tariffs before trade talks. And the talks have to be “reciprocally.
Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his backing on the proposals by the European Commission to protect European companies affected by US sanctions for Iran. Macron said arriving a summit of EU in Sofia, Bulgaria that EU must stand by smaller companies which were willing to carry on Iran businesses.
He added “international companies with interests in many countries make their own choices according to their own interests. They should continue to have this freedom.”
“But what is important is that companies and especially medium-sized companies which are perhaps less exposed to other markets, American or others, can make this choice freely.”
