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German lawmaker says EU-US deal should never become reality

Anton Hofreiter expressed the opinion that the EU has once again shown weakness

BERLIN, July 28. /TASS/. The head of the Bundestag Committee on European Affairs Anton Hofreiter (the German Greens Party) has criticized the trade agreement concluded between the European Union and the United States.

"This deal should never become reality," he told the Funke media group.

"The European Parliament and the European Commission must now make it clear to [European Commission President Ursula] von der Leyen that this cannot continue," the lawmaker noted. In his opinion, "the price of the agreement is too high."

"Europe once again had nothing to counter [US President Donald] Trump with," Hofreiter stated. He believes that the EU remains vulnerable to blackmail from Washington.

"Instead of investing in our own economy, industry and security, hundreds of billions will now flow to the US. This is the opposite of independence and sovereignty," the MP stressed.

Hofreiter expressed the opinion that the EU has once again shown weakness.

On July 27, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump reached a trade deal, which implies that almost all exports from the European Union to the United States will be subject to 15% tariffs. Earlier the Trump administration announced the intention to introduce new trade tariffs on all EU exports in the amount of 30%. Trump called the agreements reached with the European Union "the largest deal ever".

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