German
car executives met with President Donald Trump Tuesday as his
administration considers putting new tariffs on foreign vehicles and
auto parts.
Earlier
in the day, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said it's a priority to
reduce the trade deficit in cars and parts with Germany, preferably by
increasing production by German automakers in the United States.
"On
balance we're a big net importer of cars from Germany and parts for
German cars both from Germany, from Austria and from Mexico," Ross said
in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box."
"It's a very, very important
component of the European situation. And autos and auto parts are a big
part of the global."
The push comes as the Trump administration is negotiating with China over trade, and days after Trump threatened to cancel the North American Free Trade Agreement
if the US Congress refuses to ratify the replacement deal he signed
this past weekend with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts.