German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has ordered the preparation of a confidential list outlining potential economic countermeasures against the US in case bilateral tensions worsen, media reported Saturday.
The document identified key areas where the US relies on Germany, according to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. One example was Cologne-Bonn airport, a major hub for logistics companies such as UPS, FedEx, and Amazon, which route significant portions of their European operations through the facility.
A government source described the list as "quite extensive," containing "critical points and goods" Germany could use to counter American pressure. US industry depends on several German products, the report noted, including steel pipes for oil and gas production, wind and water turbines, and various industrial machinery.
The document also identified key infrastructure and facilities in Germany used by the US military, including Ramstein Air Base, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and other military installations.
Government sources told the newspaper that the list serves as a general outline and does not necessarily mean all elements will be implemented as countermeasures in a future crisis. Officials want to keep it confidential to avoid unnecessarily provoking Washington, the report said. The EU Commission has compiled a similar list, it added.
US-Germany relations have grown increasingly strained in recent months due to US President Donald Trump's foreign policy decisions, his criticism of European allies for insufficient NATO burden-sharing, and trade disputes.
Last month, Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on Germany and other European countries that opposed his plans to acquire Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark.
He later withdrew the threats after meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Davos, Switzerland, where they agreed on a framework for a potential deal covering Greenland and the wider Arctic region.
