Germany Expects Long-Term EU Exemption From US Tariffs

BERLIN (Sputnik) - The German authorities have taken note of the decision of US President Donald Trump to exempt the European Union from US tariffs on steel and aluminum for another month, the German government's press service said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The Federal government has taken note of the US decision to exempt the European Union from the US tariffs on steel and aluminum for another month. The Federal government still basically expects that the United States will provide a long-term exemption [from the new US tariffs for the European Union]," the statement said.

The German government stressed the importance of maintaining dialogue between the European Union and the United States on the issue, adding that the escalation of trade relations was neither in EU nor in US interests.

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"German Chancellor [Angela Merkel] has once again stressed the principal position of the federal government, which advocates multilateral and rule-based international trade," the statement read further.

On Monday, The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported, citing a high-ranking official at the US State Department, that Trump had decided to postpone for another month the steel and aluminum tariffs' entry into force for the European Union and some other US allies.

In late March, the United States imposed 25-percent and 10-percent tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, respectively. According to Trump, the tariffs will be in place for a long time. The European Union and six other US allies — Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and South Korea — have been granted temporary exemptions from tariffs, which are now set to expire on June 1.