German minister urges 'firm response' by EU to US car tariffs

Germany's outgoing economy minister, Robert Habeck, has called on the European Union to respond strongly to the car import tariffs recently announced by Washington, reported dpa.

"It is now important for the EU to give a firm response to the tariffs - it must be clear that we will not back down in the face of the US. Strength and self-confidence are what is needed," Habeck wrote.

"And at the same time, we will continue to support the European Commission in negotiations to find a solution with the US that averts a tariff spiral," he wrote.

Tariffs ultimately harm the US and the EU and global trade as a whole, he argued.

Habeck warned that the announcement of US import tariffs on cars and car parts of 25%, due to go into effect in early April, was "bad news for German car manufacturers, for the German economy, for the EU, but also for the US."

American cars would also become more expensive and US prices would continue to rise, he argued.

One of Trump's key election promises was to bring down inflation.

Habeck's Green Party is not part of negotiations to form the incoming coalition government in Germany, after conservatives won the elections in February.