Concern Over Car Tariffs
The chancellor, who is serving her fourth term in office, noted that transatlantic ties had been marked by many conflicts in the past, and said: "I hope that we can find the strength to take things further."
She expressed concern over Trump's threat to impose new U.S. tariffs on imported cars, and said the United States "does not always pursue policies on which we have the same opinion".
Merkel described the possible U.S. tariffs on imported cars as "a real threat to the prosperity of many in the world".
"We don't want these tariffs. We think we'll hurt each other - they won't just hurt us in the European Union - they could have much more far-reaching consequences," she said, adding on trade: "We have a very serious situation in the world."
U.S. tariffs on imported cars would slash around 6 billion euros ($7.00 billion) off German economic output, the president of Germany's DIHK Chambers of Commerce said earlier.
If talks fail to result in a deal with the U.S. that conforms with WTO rules, the European Union could impose countermeasures "but that is by far the worse solution," said Merkel.
The news conference was Merkel's last appointment before she goes on holiday after a tumultuous period marked by Trump's criticism and a row over immigration with her Bavarian allies that she resolved earlier this month.
Asked if she was exhausted, Merkel, who has been in office since 2005, replied: "I can't complain. These are demanding times." She also called them "exciting times."
($1 = 0.8567 euros)
