Germany Says EU Ready to Retaliate if U.S. Trade Talks Falter

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said the European Union is prepared to impose countermeasures on the United States if ongoing negotiations fail to deliver what he called a “fair” trans-Atlantic trade agreement. Klingbeil did not detail the scope of any retaliatory steps, but his remarks reinforce the EU’s long-standing position that it will defend its economic interests should talks stall. ForexLive, citing people familiar with the discussions, said negotiators have an informal deadline of around 1 August to bridge remaining gaps after an earlier 9 July target slipped. The warning comes amid broader strains in U.S.–EU commercial relations following Washington’s 145 percent tariff on a wide range of Chinese goods that took effect in April, a measure Brussels fears could distort global supply chains and spill over into European industry.