German steel companies criticize US tariff policy as "fickle" and call on the EU to strengthen response.

In response to US President Trump's decision on May 30 to increase import tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%, German steel companies and industry associations have expressed serious concerns and called on the EU to expedite effective countermeasures to mitigate the adverse impact on the European steel industry. Gunther Gleruble, chairman of Germany's Salzgitter Steel Company based in Lower Saxony, stated on June 2 that although the company's direct steel business in the US market is limited, the US's "erratic" tariff policies have already had an impact on the overall European economy, particularly directly affecting the German manufacturing industry.