FRANKFURT: Germany’s largest union IG Metall proposed on Monday that foreign companies that sell their products in the European Union should be forced to include components made in the bloc.
“All industrial products marketed in Europe should be forced to have some European components,” said Juergen Kerner, deputy head of the trade union, the biggest in Europe.
“If Chinese or American carmakers want to sell their cars into Europe, then we need to force them to assemble products in Europe with European components.”
Export power Germany is struggling with fierce Chinese competition, high energy costs and the threat of US President Donald Trump imposing tariffs that would hurt international trade.
The EU’s biggest economy has shrunk for two years in a row.
Kerner stressed that to avoid heightening tensions with trading partners by imposing a local content strategy, moderation would have to be key.
“We don’t want 100 percent local in Europe,” he said. “That would be completely wrong. We live off exports. But zero percent is equally wrong.”
As Germany heads for a February 23 election, and an immigration debate is again dominating the campaign, IG Metall head Christiane Benner implored voters to focus on the economy.
“There is no time to lose,” she said. “The next German government will have to transform the economy.”
She added that voters needed to avoid “extremist forces who are not interested in the future, not interested in making life better for people”.
“IG Metall has 500,000 members who are migrants or the children of migrants. And they’re not the only ones scared about political developments in this country.”
