The European Union (EU) is prepared for the possible increase of customs duties by the new US administration, according to Tobias Lindner, Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation of the German government.

If US President-elect Donald Trump imposes high tariffs against the EU when he comes to power, the EU will be ready for it, Lindner told AFP.

According to him, the EU will discuss the corresponding countermeasures in great detail, but it will not disclose details at the moment, reports DW.

Trump has threatened EU partners with endless tariffs if they don't reduce the country's trade deficit by buying oil and gas from the US. This shows that climate protection and energy transition policies are ultimately tough economic and trade policies, too, according to Tobias Lindner. .

In negotiations with American partners, it is necessary to show in which domain additional value is created in the US by German companies, particularly in the automotive sector, and emphasize that many jobs depend on it, the German politician emphasized. These companies are neither a German nor an American concern, but are one and the other, he said.

As for Trump's blunt diplomatic style, Lindner recommends taking a balanced approach when communicating with him. On the one hand, Germany should not try to please the new US administration by fulfilling any of its demands. On the other hand, it is necessary to treat Washington's unfavorable statements calmly and respond to them composedly, noted the Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation of the German government.