Merz ‘surprised’ by Asian pushback to ‘Made in Europe’ plan for car industry

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was "surprised" by the intensity of the pushback from East Asian countries against planned "Made in Europe" rules for the bloc's car sector. Asian countries strongly protested a plan agreed by Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron , under which Brussels would restrict car subsidies to vehicles produced inside the EU, Switzerland and the U.K. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told reporters that he had “asked Merz for support so that Korea would be treated like the EU member states.” A similar complaint was voiced in Japan.