Dieter Zetsche doesn’t expect Trump to disadvantage European automakers

Daimler does not anticipate Donald Trump to prefer U.S. automakers over their European equivalents, the automaker’s CEO, Dieter Zetsche informed a German paper, brushing off issues over the president-elect’s protectionist rhetoric throughout his campaign.

“I find it hard to believe that it would pertain to punitive tariffs,” Dieter Zetsche informed Bild am Sonntag in an interview released on Sunday, including he did not anticipate any unfavorable repercussions for Daimler’s factory located in Alabama.

Zetsche stated any protectionism preferring U.S. automakers would harm the United States more. “Success in the United States and the world has come about thanks to development in world trade,” the paper quoted him.

Zetsche likewise brushed off any issues about the status of diesel vehicles in the United States, stating they were a specific niche item, representing less than 1 percent of car sales there.

He stated that the Volkswagen emissions scandal had put the market in a bad light, however included: “We are encouraged that diesel motor are essential if we wish to minimize CO2 emissions from transport.”