Germany Seeks U.S. Steel Quotas in Follow-Up to EU Tariff Deal

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said he will press the United States to accept a quota regime for German and EU steel exports when he meets Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington on Monday, 4 August. Klingbeil told Deutschlandfunk radio that steel is “particularly important for the German economy and jobs” and that he intends to test how far the U.S. administration is willing to go toward easing remaining trade frictions. The push comes less than two weeks after the European Union struck a broad tariff accord with President Donald Trump that set duties of 15 percent on most goods but left steel and aluminium subject to 50 percent levies pending further talks. Klingbeil welcomed the overall deal yet acknowledged that Berlin had been “too weak in negotiations” and that several chapters, including energy and investment commitments, still require clarification. The minister said a quick resolution is needed to give German companies planning certainty and warned that political polarisation at home underscores the urgency of delivering tangible results. He added that he has been in regular contact with Bessent and aims to maintain constructive relations as discussions continue.