Overview

• The US will levy 15% duties on most EU goods while the EU grants duty-free entry to American cars under the newly formalized agreement.
• Germany’s GDP fell by 0.1% in the second quarter, marking its first contraction in the current tariff regime.
• Mercedes-Benz reported a 55.8% drop in first-half profit to €2.7 billion and Porsche saw a 71% decline to €718 million, attributing losses to US tariffs and weak China sales.
• Deloitte projects up to €31 billion in midterm export losses to the US, and Kiel Institute and Ifo forecasts estimate a €6.5–8.6 billion drag on German GDP.
• Automotive expert assessments warn that up to 70,000 German auto-industry jobs could shift to US production facilities under the new trade terms.