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German Chancellor Angela Merkel
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her country’s trade surplus at the weekend, insisting that Berlin is working to encourage domestic demand but that not all factors are under its control.
Her Economy Minister Peter Altmaier flew to Washington today for talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration, which has criticised Germany’s trade surplus.
Chancellor Merkel said domestic demand has been growing, helping narrow the German trade surplus to €244.9 billion (£216bn) in 2017.
The cancelled China trip of the German Foreign Minister marks a break with Helmut Schmidt’s China policy and drives Germany further into Washington’s confrontation course, warns SEVIM DAGDELEN
US tariffs have had Von der Leyen bowing in submission, while comments from the former European Central Bank leader call for more European political integration and less individual state sovereignty. All this adds up to more pain and austerity ahead, argues NICK WRIGHT
