On February 20, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) vociferously condemned the United States' proposed import tariffs on automobiles, branding the initiative as "provocative" and urging the EU and US to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. The association's president, Müller, emphasized that leveraging tariffs as a negotiating tactic is misguided and warned that a global trade conflict could have detrimental effects on the global economy. Similarly, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) asserted that the Trump administration's plan to impose tariffs of approximately 25% on imported cars would severely impact the German automotive industry. Additionally, the German pharmaceutical sector has expressed apprehension about the looming trade conflict with the US, fearing that supplementary tariffs might disrupt the supply of essential medicines to patients. The Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies in Germany (vfa) decried protective tariffs as economically harmful and advocated for constructive dialogues between both parties to uphold the principles of free trade and scientific collaboration.