BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that he would pursue a deal under which U.S. cars could be imported into Europe duty free in exchange for tariff waivers on the same number of vehicles exported to the United States.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he found President Donald Trump open to discussion and is convinced that Washington remains committed to the NATO alliance

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz successfully navigated a 40-minute meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office without falling victim to the public humiliation the American president has doled out to other leaders — even though both Germany and Europe are two of Trump’s perpetual irritants.

US President Donald Trump’s trade war has cost companies more than‭ $‬34‭ ‬billion‭ (‬Dh12.4‭ ‬billion‭) ‬in lost sales and higher costs‭, ‬according to a Reuters analysis of corporate disclosures‭, ‬a toll that is expected to rise as ongoing uncertainty over tariffs paralyses decision-making at‭ ‬some of the world’s largest companies‭.

The boss of Mercedes, Ola Kallenius, has suggested that European lawmakers could allow US-made cars to be imported duty-free into the continent in exchange for tariff waivers on vehicles made in the EU and sent to the US.

President Donald Trump recently doubled his tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and a company wants his administration to expand the tariff to protect the Galt Alloys plant in Stark County. AMG Resources has sent a letter to the U.