German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the complexity of the EU's trade negotiations with the US, suggesting a focus on a few major industries.

Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor of Germany, has said that the European Union's approach to trade negotiations with the United States is far too complicated. At an event organized by the BDI, he suggested that the EU should focus on concluding agreements in four or five major industries to align with the American strategy. Merz stressed that negotiating hundreds of different customs codes is not efficient and called for a faster and simpler approach.