Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has rejected Finance Minister Christian Lindner's (FDP) proposal to try again for a free trade agreement with the United States.

This is neither what the Americans expect nor will it lead to anything in the short term, Habeck said on Monday during a visit to Abu Dhabi.

Habeck pointed out that during a recent visit to Washington he also spoke to the US Secretary of Commerce - there is a better, simpler and more successful element, namely the Trade and Technology Council.

“We should expand that, i.e. interaction in action and in technical regulation.

And that's what we need.

But we've been there for a long time."

The transatlantic partnership, which is emerging with renewed vigour, has found its instrument.

“Using and protecting and expanding this instrument is the order of the day.

And that is exactly what the Americans expect,” said Habeck.

"We should not now engage in an ideological debate that blocks the way for the cooperative understanding we are building."

Lindner had called for a new attempt at a free trade agreement with the USA in the "Handelsblatt".

Referring to Russia's attack, he told the newspaper: "Especially now in the crisis, it shows how important free trade is with partners in the world who share our values.

We should learn from the experiences of the TTIP talks.”

The European-American free trade agreement TTIP (“Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership”) was put on hold in 2016.

In Europe in particular, there were massive protests against it, partly because environmental and consumer advocates feared that high EU standards could be watered down.

Foreign trade association supports Lindner

Lindner's initiative has been approved by the Federal Association of Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA).

"The dismantling of trade barriers between the USA and Europe is long overdue," said Association President Dirk Jandura in Berlin: "We must learn from the discussions about TTIP, there needs to be a clear basic commitment by politicians to transatlantic free trade".

Germany finally needs a constructive, ratifiable result and must not always talk everything to pieces.

Both sides would have to make compromises: "The claim that only our position is an acceptable negotiation result must end," said Jandura. The Russian attack on Ukraine and not least Corona showed how essential free trade agreements are to diversify supply chains.