Bernd Lange, the German MEP who chairs the European Parliament's trade committee, has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of imposing 25% tariffs on European Union cars as a direct political retaliation against Berlin. Speaking to Europe Today on Monday, Lange argued that the measures lack any legal or economic justification and are instead aimed at punishing Germany for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's recent criticism of the U.S. military campaign in Iran.
"There are no legal or no economic reasons for those tariffs. This is really politically against Germany," Lange said. "He is targeting specifically German car manufacturers."
The tariff announcement came days after Merz publicly questioned Washington's strategy in Iran, a stance that has strained transatlantic relations. Trump has accused several European nations of failing to contribute to U.S.-led operations in the region and last week ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 American troops stationed in Germany. The troop reduction, which lacked strategic planning according to sources, has further deepened the rift between Washington and Berlin. Trump's Germany troop withdrawal lacked strategic planning, sources say.
Turnberry Agreement Under Threat
If enacted this week, the tariffs would breach the 15% ceiling established under the EU-U.S. trade deal struck in July 2025 between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry, Scotland. That agreement was reached after weeks of escalating trade tensions following Trump's return to the White House and the launch of his nationalist trade agenda.
Lange expressed doubts about the durability of the Turnberry pact. "I'm not sure that we can really go on," he said of the deal, which has already been suspended multiple times by MEPs—most notably after Trump threatened tariffs on EU countries that refused to allow the U.S. to acquire Greenland.
"The mood in the European Union has changed, specifically after Greenland," Lange noted, adding that all retaliatory options are now on the table. "We have the toolbox and of course all the tools are in," he said, referring to the EU's anti-coercion instruments designed to counter economic pressure from third countries. "We will look also to other elements like countermeasures, like counter-tariffs or export restrictions."
Divisions Among Member States
The Turnberry agreement is currently under review by EU governments and lawmakers, with a view to reducing EU tariffs on U.S. industrial goods to zero as outlined in the deal. However, the European Parliament has built in safeguards, including a "sunrise" clause that makes new EU tariff cuts conditional on the U.S. meeting its obligations, and a "sunset" clause that would terminate the agreement in March 2028.
EU member states remain divided over these provisions. France has backed the Parliament's tougher line, while Germany has resisted it. "Germany, unfortunately, was more in the camp of the second," Lange said. "Now, I guess also here is a change."
The dispute comes amid broader European protests against Trump's policies, including a rally in Paris under the banner "No Kings." Paris 'No Kings' Rally Joins European Protests Against Trump. Meanwhile, Trump has vowed deeper U.S. troop cuts in Germany, escalating the transatlantic rift. Trump Vows Deeper US Troop Cuts in Germany, Escalating Transatlantic Rift.
The European Commission has yet to announce a formal response to the tariff threat, but Lange's comments suggest that Brussels is preparing a robust countermeasure. The outcome will likely depend on whether Germany shifts its position to align with France and the European Parliament, a move that could reshape the EU's negotiating stance ahead of the March 2028 sunset deadline.
