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Statement by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on the EU US trade agreement

26.07.2018 - Press release

Foreign Minister Maas issued the following statement in Seoul today (26 July):

I have said that ‘Europe United’ can be the only answer to ‘America First’. That is why it was so important that Jean Claude Juncker travelled to Washington with the full support of the entire EU.



Europe proved yesterday that it will not allow itself to be divided. And we saw that when Europe is united, our words carry weight and we can speak assertively and as equals with everyone in the world.


Jean Claude Juncker showed that what counts in the end is not who uses the largest letters on Twitter, but whether one can offer real solutions or just big talk, as even Trump’s supporters already realise that US farmers and industrial workers only stand to lose if we hit each other with ever crazier tariffs.


The US and Europe are not foes. I hope this notion will revert to being what it was until recently in the White House – a matter of course. We are partners and allies with shared values and interests, so it is good that not only has the question of car tariffs been resolved, but we have also agreed to work together to counter unfair trade practices and to reform the WTO. We have also found allies for this here in South Korea and in Japan.

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