"We do not share the view that European or even German steel imports can threaten US national security… This is why there is no reason to impose unilateral restrictions on steel imports," Zypries said in her interview to Welt am Sonntag, a German newspaper.
Last week, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recommended to impose a 53-percent tariff on all steel imports from 12 countries (Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, India, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam) or a global tariff of at least 24 percent on all steel imports from all countries, including Germany.
READ MORE: Fears UK-China Free Trade Could Wipe Out Welsh Steel
The commerce secretary explained that this measure must increase US steel production from its current 73 percent of capacity to about 80 percent.
According to figures, provided by the US Commerce Department, Germany accounts for the 3% share of US steel imports, which makes the country one of the top 10 source states for the US.