Trump's trade tirade against Germany has officials in a bind

Washington

THE last time relations between the United States and Europe were this bad - in the spring of 2003, during the buildup to the invasion of Iraq - the administration of George W Bush decided to "punish France, ignore Germany and forgive Russia", in a phrase attributed to the national security adviser at the time, Condoleezza Rice.

Now, President Donald Trump has flipped the formula, punishing Germany while largely ignoring France. (His conciliatory approach to Russia seems more or less in line with developments in 2003.) The difference this time is trade. Germany runs a chronic, yawning trade surplus with the United States, which Trump administration officials say Berlin has widened by exploiting a weak euro to put US exports at a disadvantage. That, more than differences over Nato, Russia or climate change, is driving a wedge between the two countries.