Almost a week economy Minister Altmaier is in the United States. In the trade conflict, he tries to convince the Americans of the arguments of a Deal. In Silicon Valley, he listens to especially.
It comes to a lot of. And the clock is ticking. Starting in November, and threats of escalation in the trade conflict between the US and the EU. U.S. President Donald Trump could massively impose higher US import duties on cars from Europe – a horror scenario, especially for German manufacturers. The sales could slump, this would probably have consequences for Jobs.
Federal Minister Peter Altmaier wants to do everything to prevent that from happening. And that’s why he is in the United States as a traveling salesman on the road. The negotiations with the US and the EU. But the German voice search in Washington, you are convinced in the Ministry of economy.
Germans are major employers
Again and again, Altmaier has a list of The car manufacturers BMW and Mercedes plants in the States were the largest exporters. German companies would have just created 700.000 Jobs in the United States and billions invested. A trade war would bring only losers.
Even now, the German companies are uncertain and waiting to see whether they made new investments in the United States, says Altmaier. And sets out a deliberate Signal with his visit to the Mercedes plant in Tuscaloosa in the U.S. state of Alabama this Friday.
The Federal Minister for economic Affairs and his Ministerial colleagues, the Minister of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.
Still a truce
The question is, whether the convinced all Americans. Trump has triggered Trade disputes with China and the EU, to him, the huge trade deficits with China or Germany, are a thorn in the eye. The story goes like this, as it is said in German government circles: The Americans protect Europe militarily – but, above all Germany, to give a little for the defense and catch the US economically.
Currently, a kind of armistice prevails in the trade conflict. In mid-may, Trump had special duties and threatened to imports of cars from the EU for half a year suspended. In this time, to be negotiated on a trade agreement.
So far, the U.S. demand for European cars 2.5 per cent import tariff – the EU conceded ten per cent. In contrast, the U.S. import duty is for the in the United States, so popular Pick-ups at 25 per cent. Trump could raise the Car import duties to 25 percent or more, the EU could then react with counter-tariffs. That would be the case of an emergency.
Altmaier renewed in Washington the offer to put the industrial tariffs to zero. Then the customer can decide, which car he wanted to buy. And here the Germans themselves are aware of their successful upper-class manufacturers BMW, Mercedes and Porsche.
The Mercedes plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Altmaier also in this example, visited the German investment in the United States.
Only a few months time
Negotiators on the US side of the trade Robert Lighthizer officer. After Meeting with him on Thursday Altmaier says that the issue was difficult. However, the CDU-man is an Optimist by nature here. By the end of the year or until the appointment of the new European Commission in November, an agreement could be reached if the political will was there. The chances would be 50:50.
But there are big stumbling blocks. The EU would like to conclude with the US an agreement, which includes all industrial goods, including Automobiles. The goal is to reduce industrial tariffs on a broad Front. The US does not want to negotiate on agricultural products – the EU.
Especially the auto industry for Germany is of paramount importance. And she is facing a turning point – towards alternative drives to self-driving cars. And this is the other great theme of the U.S. travel Altmaiers: the unstoppable digital transformation.
With a religious sense of mission
For two days, the 61-Year-old in Silicon Valley, the home of many Startups and IT giants. The Minister wants one thing above all: listen and learn. And he’s learning. “I was scared when I heard the word of the evangelists,” he says, during a lunch with German managers in Palo Alto. “Evangelists” – the people in the “Valley”, see themselves as preachers of the good news of digital progress.
Peter Altmaier, here in front of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is an Optimist by nature.
The digitalization as an opportunity to understand
In Germany but there are also a lot of scepticism of what the will bring. Altmaier tells how he had a discussion with nurses on the use of care robots and the fear that the sisters would lose their Job. Quite the contrary, says the CDU-man: the care robot, there is more time for the care of people.
Altmaier is convinced that the digital transition many of the old Jobs drop off at the end, but the bottom line is that more new Jobs will be created. The only question is where. For Germany, the threat of future technologies such as Autonomous Driving and Artificial intelligence to fall back.
The “pace of Innovation” needs to be increased calls for the Minister of the economy Motto: attack is the best defense. He also makes German companies at a dinner in Palo Alto is clear. The German companies were the top dogs “and tend to defend something”.