[ferro-alloys.com]No deal has been reached to extend temporary exemption to US tariffs on steel and aluminum on imports from Germany and other EU countries, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday.

"The president will decide, that is very clear," Merkel said at a press conference with US President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders discussed the tariffs, among other issues. "We had an exchange of views on the current state of affairs of the negotiations and the respective assessments on where we stand on this and the decision lies with the president."

Germany and members of the EU have been granted a temporary exemption from the 25% US tariff on steel imports and the 10% tariff on aluminum imports, which took effect March 23. However, those exemptions are set to expire May 1 unless a longer-term deal can be reached. Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron both visited the White House this week, in part to push Trump to grant permanent tariff exemptions for EU countries.

Axel Eggert, president of European steel association Eurofer, told S&P Global Platts Thursday that while nothing official had been made public, a further exemption to the US' metals tariffs seems increasingly unlikely.

"The hope that there will be an extension of the exemption is indeed small," he said.

German media reported Thursday, citing German government sources, that the government is expecting duties on European steel and aluminium from the beginning of next week as attempts to negotiate had not been fruitful so far.

When asked if he was concerned about starting a trade war with the EU should they not be exempt from the tariffs come May 1, Trump highlighted the US' trade deficit with the EU.

"There's no way we should have a trade deficit of $151 billion so we?re going to make it reciprocal, we're going to make it a much more fair situation and I think in the end everyone is going to be very happy," Trump said. "Germany, and some other countries, they might not like Donald Trump, but you have to understand that means I'm doing a good job because I'm representing the United States."

Top White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Thursday that America's trading partners must make concessions in order to avoid the tariffs.

• [Editor:王可]