Asian leaders tell Germany’s Merz they worry about EU electric car rules

Friedrich Merz says he is surprised by how worried Japanese and Asian officials are about new European rules that favor local car makers.

Friedrich Merz, a top German political leader, says he is surprised. He went to Asia to talk about business, but he found that leaders there are very worried about Europe’s plans for the car industry. Europe wants to push a "Made in Europe" strategy for electric vehicles. The goal is to help European car companies grow. But countries like Japan are nervous. They worry that these new rules will act like a wall, making it hard for Japanese car makers to sell their vehicles in Europe. Sanae Takaichi, a high-ranking official in Japan, specifically asked Merz to make sure Japan is not left out.…