Healthy climate, good soil, lush meadows and two seas.

That’s how you could describe my home region, Schleswig-Holstein.

It’s a federal state where agriculture and food production are traditionally strong.

I know what I’m talking about because I grew up on farms as a child and teenager. The first driving licence I got was for a tractor.

I also learned how to milk cows. Back then, that was still done by hand.

That’s why –also because I still have many friends in the agricultural sector, including in my Rendsburg-Eckernförde constituency – I know where farmers and food producers are finding it tough. They never make a secret of it:

the number of dairy farmers is decreasing, farms are groaning under the strain of excessive red tape, the price war is putting pressure on small and medium-sized farms in particular – and then there was the Fertiliser Ordinance.

And global crises, the war in Ukraine, climate change and interruptions in supply chains are also making life difficult for farmers – whether they be organic farmers or large-scale producers.

That’s the environment in which you are all operating, in which you bear entrepreneurial responsibility.

Businesses that create jobs for thousands of people, that are an important part of our economy and above all: that make sure we have food on our plates.

The German Government has a responsibility to do all we can to shape this environment in our interests – both nationally and internationally.

That’s why I’m pleased to welcome you all to the 11^th Foreign Trade Congress for Food and Agriproducts here at the Federal Foreign Office.

I took up office as Foreign Minister with one principle in mind: a foreign policy focused on key priorities.

In my view, these are: security, freedom and prosperity.

That’s the guiding principle of our fully coordinated foreign policy – with all federal ministries, as well as the Bundestag; with practical expertise from both business and civil society.

It was therefore important to me, Minister, Alois, to be here today.

I’d like to touch on two areas where we will have to pull even harder in the same direction in the near future in order to strengthen German agriculture in particular in these turbulent times.

First of all, trade policy.

The US Administration’s tariffs policy is also keeping the food and agricultural sector on its toes.

Every year, your branch exports goods worth more than 2.5 billion euro to the United States.

America is thus one of our most important markets outside the EU.

Conversely, imports of agricultural and food produce from the United States to Germany amounted to just under 3 billion euro in 2024.

So it’s clear to me that

it’s very much in the interest of your sector, of our country, that the tariffs dispute with the United States doesn’t escalate. Rather, that we settle it through negotiations.

That’s what I’m working to achieve.

Naturally, I broached this subject with my counterpart Marco Rubio while in Washington last week.

We in Europe are under no illusions. These are and will continue to be difficult negotiations.

However, I advocated that we build bridges instead of tariff barriers.

At the same time, we Europeans see how keen other regions of the world are to cooperate with us – especially because we’re such a reliable partner.

We intend to seize this opportunity and further expand our partnerships.

That’s why the German Government is pushing to finalise the agreement with the MERCOSUR countries as well as with Mexico, to advance the agreements with Indonesia and Australia and to conclude the negotiations with India and Thailand before the end of this year.

I know that such negotiations always raise questions – among the German public but also in the business community.

Is the quality of my food still guaranteed if the steaks come from Brazil and Argentina?

What does competition from abroad mean for our small and medium-sized businesses?

These are all legitimate questions. We take these concerns seriously.

However, it’s also clear, indeed it should be particularly clear to Germany, that we’re an export-oriented country. No nation benefits as much as Germany from open markets. I therefore remain a champion of a free trade policy which opens Germany to the world markets.

Every single agreement offers us the chance to shape the rules of global trade and open up new markets for our companies.

For example, the agreements with Canada, Japan or Viet Nam have resulted in an increase in German agricultural and food exports – without compromising on standards or rules which would undermine our producers.

The EU-MERCOSUR agreement will also ensure that.

We should therefore continue to work together to make sure that this understanding is also strengthened in the domestic debate and to jointly promote further free trade agreements.

My second point is: in uncertain times, we must invest all the more in our own strength.

We see that international players are increasingly linking their foreign policy interests with trade or industrial policy. German businesses operating abroad also experience this.

On this playing field – geoeconomics – you’re only taken seriously if you work as a well-coordinated team.

For us in the EU, that means that we have to strengthen the European single market, that we have to reduce red tape and advance the banking and capital markets union.

The German Government and the EU have continuously developed their external economic policy and its instruments during the last few years. We want to continue this.

That was one of the reasons why we stated in the coalition agreement that we intend to draft a national economic security strategy in order to take an even more integrated approach to the security and economic dimensions.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I’m delighted that we’re bringing together so many different perspectives here at the Federal Foreign Office today.

I would like to take this opportunity to expressly welcome the agriculture desk officers posted to German embassies who are present today.

These officers are happy to address any questions or concerns you and your businesses may have – as is the entire Federal Foreign Office with its over 200 embassies and consulates.

Whether it's about opening up foreign markets, contacts in the host country or questions about business trips and trade fairs abroad.

We want to support your business as best we can in all these areas.

You can be sure that the German Government is pursuing coordinated policies – in the interest of our economy, in the interest of agriculture and the food industry, but above all in the interest of our country.