Most forecasters â” and the latest report from Germanyâs economics ministry â” warned of one major threat to growth: trade relations between Europe and the United States. US President Donald Trump has already instituted a number import fees on EU goods, including a blanket 10% tariff on virtually all products, a 25% mark-up for cars shipped to the US, and the levies on European steel and aluminium, which were recently doubled to 50%.
That said, investors are piling into Europe, largely due to rising uncertainty about prospects for the US and the German spending plans, according to observers. Apollo Global Management, one of the worldâs four largest private equity firms, said it will invest up to USD 100 bn (EUR 87 bn) in Germany over the next decade.
Related: Mood improves among German processors, business leadersÂ
The UK business daily Financial Times reported that Blackrock, the worldâs largest asset manager, plans to invest USD 500 bn (EUR 434 bn) in the region over the 10 years, which would more than double its current holdings of USD 350 bn. (German Chancellor Friedrich Merz previously worked for the company).
And semiconductor supplier Nvidia said it has selected Germany as the site of the worldâs first âindustrial AI-Cloudâ to accelerate manufacturing development.
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