FRANKFURT: US President Donald Trump is “offending” allies and risking a global trade war with his controversial tariffs on steel and aluminum, Germany’s economy minister said Friday.
“This is protectionism which offends close partners like the EU and Germany and which limits free trade,” Brigitte Zypries said in a statement.
“We will stand firmly by the side of our companies and their workers and will now work closely with the European Commission to answer coolly and clearly” Trump’s imposition of 10 percent tariffs on aluminum imports and 25 percent on steel, she added.
Thursday’s announcement from the White House that it would slap levies on imports of the key metals was met with anger from major trading partners like China, Japan and the EU.
While the immediate financial impact of the border duties is small, observers fear they could spark an eye-for-an-eye spiral of countermeasures, as other capitals feel forced to act to protect their own industries.
Brussels has warned it could tax imports of politically sensitive American products such as orange juice or motorcycles in response to Trump’s tariffs.
But Trump said he would simply up levies on car imports from the EU in retaliation — a potentially painful blow for “car nation” and export champion Germany.
In calmer language than seen last weekend, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said Friday that “dialogue is always the prime option of the European Union,” adding that Brussels was “counting on being excluded” from the tariffs after Trump said close allies might be exempt.
But as he announced the tariffs Thursday, Trump declared that “many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade and the military are our allies.”
He singled out Germany for criticism, which books massive trade surpluses and has long failed to meet NATO defense spending targets.
“That’s not fair,” Trump said.
Germany’s exports to the US — its largest trading partner — outweighed imports by €50.5 billion ($62.2 billion) across 2017 and €3.5 billion in January this year, figures released by federal statistics authority Destatis showed Friday.
Strained relations between Washington and its traditional EU allies have grown so bad that European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi issued a call for calm in a Thursday press conference.
“There is a certain worry or concern about the state of international relations, because if you put tariffs against what are your allies, one wonders who the enemies are,” Draghi said.
“Disputes should be discussed and resolved in a multilateral framework,” rather than tit-for-tat exchanges, he added.
News of the US tariffs came as other indicators for the German economy pointed to continuing strong growth into 2018 if it is spared major upsets.
“At least in the near term, prospects for German industry have never looked rosier,” economist Carsten Brzeski of ING Diba bank said after official data showed industrial production held steady in January.
Nevertheless, “the biggest risk for German exports seems to come from the US ... the risk for Germany is for real,” he added.
Some comfort from Berlin comes from the fact that destinations for its exports are “very diversified” around Europe and further afield, Brzeski said.
German business groups offered a mixed response to Trump’s tariff assault, with the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry calling for a proportionate response from the EU.
By contrast, Holger Bingmann of exporters’ association BGA warned that “the EU may now take steps we wouldn’t want ... we call urgently for level-headedness.”
‘Protectionist’ Trump tariffs ‘offend’ Germany
‘Protectionist’ Trump tariffs ‘offend’ Germany
How AI and financial literacy are redefining the Saudi workforce
- Preparing people capable of navigating money and machines with confidence
ALKHOBAR: Saudi Arabia’s workforce is entering a transformative phase where digital fluency meets financial empowerment.
As Vision 2030 drives economic diversification, experts emphasize that the Kingdom’s most valuable asset is not just technology—but people capable of navigating both money and machines with confidence.
For Shereen Tawfiq, co-founder and CEO of Balinca, financial literacy is far from a soft skill. It is a cornerstone of national growth. Her company trains individuals and organizations through gamified simulations that teach financial logic, risk assessment, and strategic decision-making—skills she calls “the true language of empowerment.”
“Our projection builds on the untapped potential of Saudi women as entrepreneurs and investors,” she said. “If even 10–15 percent of women-led SMEs evolve into growth ventures over the next five years, this could inject $50–$70 billion into GDP through new job creation, capital flows, and innovation.”
Tawfiq, one of the first Saudi women to work in banking and later an adviser to the Ministry of Economy and Planning on private sector development, helped design early frameworks for the Kingdom’s venture-capital ecosystem—a transformation she describes as “a national case study in ambition.”
“Back in 2015, I proposed a 15-year roadmap to build the PE and VC market,” she recalled. “The minister told me, ‘you’re not ambitious enough, make it happen in five.’” Within years, Saudi Arabia had a thriving investment ecosystem supporting startups and non-oil growth.
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At Balinca, Tawfiq replaces theory with immersion. Participants make business decisions in interactive simulations and immediately see their financial impact.
“Balinca teaches finance by hacking the brain, not just feeding information,” she said. “Our simulations create what we call a ‘business gut feeling’—an intuitive grasp of finance that traditional training or even AI platforms can’t replicate.”
While AI can personalize lessons, she believes behavioral learning still requires human experience.
“AI can democratize access,” she said, “but judgment, ethics, and financial reasoning still depend on people. We train learners to use AI as a co-pilot, not a crutch.”
Her work aligns with a broader national agenda. The Financial Sector Development Program and Al Tamayyuz Academy are part of Vision 2030’s effort to elevate financial acumen across industries. “In Saudi Arabia, financial literacy is a national project,” she said. “When every sector thinks like a business, the nation gains stability.”
Jonathan Holmes, managing director for Korn Ferry Middle East, sees Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation producing a new generation of leaders—agile, data-literate, and unafraid of disruption.
“What we’re seeing in the Saudi market is that AI is tied directly to the nation’s economic growth story,” Holmes told Arab News. “Unlike in many Western markets where AI is viewed as a threat, here it’s seen as a catalyst for progress.”
Holmes noted that Vision 2030 and the national AI strategy are producing “younger, more dynamic, and more tech-fluent” executives who lead with speed and adaptability. Korn Ferry’s CEO Tracker Report highlighted a notable rise in first-time CEO appointments in Saudi Arabia’s listed firms, signaling deliberate generational renewal.
Korn Ferry research identifies six traits for AI-ready leadership: sustaining vision, decisive action, scaling for impact, continuous learning, addressing fear, and pushing beyond early success.
“Leading in an AI-driven world is ultimately about leading people,” Holmes said. “The most effective leaders create clarity amid ambiguity and show that AI’s true power lies in partnership, not replacement.”
He believes Saudi Arabia’s young workforce is uniquely positioned to model that balance. “The organizations that succeed are those that anchor AI initiatives to business outcomes, invest in upskiling, and move quickly from pilots to enterprise-wide adoption,” he added.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Saudi women-led SMEs could add $50–$70 billion to GDP over five years if 10–15% evolve into growth ventures.
• AI in Saudi Arabia is seen as a catalyst for progress, unlike in many Western markets where it is often viewed as a threat.
• Saudi Arabia is adopting skills-based models, matching employees to projects rather than fixed roles, making flexibility the new currency of success.
The convergence of Tawfiq’s financial empowerment approach and Holmes’s AI leadership vision points to one central truth: the Kingdom’s greatest strategic advantage lies in human capital that can think analytically and act ethically.
“Financial literacy builds confidence and credibility,” Tawfiq said. “It transforms participants from operators into leaders.” Holmes echoes this sentiment: “Technical skills matter, but the ability to learn, unlearn, and scale impact is what defines true readiness.”
As organizations adopt skills-based models that match employees to projects rather than fixed job titles, flexibility is becoming the new currency of success. Saudi Arabia’s workforce revolution is as much cultural as it is technological, proving that progress moves fastest when inclusion and innovation advance together.
Holmes sees this as the Kingdom’s defining opportunity. “Saudi Arabia can lead global workforce transformation by showing how technology and people thrive together,” he said.
Tawfiq applies the same principle to finance. “Financial confidence grows from dialogue,” she said. “The more women talk about money, valuations, and investment, the more they’ll see themselves as decision-makers shaping the economy.”
Together, their visions outline a future where leaders are inclusive, data-literate, and AI-confident—a model that may soon define the global standard for workforce transformation under Vision 2030.
