Germany wants to start new talks on a free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States. The German Finance Minister made this call in the German newspaper Handelsblatt. According to Christian Lindner, the Ukraine crisis highlights the importance of free trade with partners around the world who share the same values.
Negotiations on a trade deal were halted under former US President Donald Trump. Trump ended negotiations on the so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and instead introduced a series of measures that hindered trade.
Indispensable partner
It is unclear to what extent there is support in Europe for the new negotiations. In recent years, some policymakers have spoken out in favor of a restart, while others have been more cautious.
In a statement, the US embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to Lindner’s proposal. The office said that the existing US-EU Council on Trade and Technology ensures that there is a “broad base” in trade and technology to support growth. “The current crisis shows that the United States and Germany, and the European Union, are indispensable partners,” the embassy added.
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