The Parliament Magazine, a Brussels-based outlet, featured a comment from Christian Dustmann on the U.S. decision to reduce tariffs on European cars.
In the article Dustmann stresses that German manufacturers have been “sluggish” in adapting to the electric transition, warning that “German carmakers have missed the train on electric-driven technology. It’s not just the tariffs, it’s also the challenge of this transition.”
He pointed to Volkswagen’s 33% drop in operating profit in the first half of 2025 as evidence of the combined pressures from retooling for EV production, intensifying Chinese competition, and ongoing trade frictions.
