“The fact that we have 10 times as much direct investment from Germany in the United States than there’s American investment in Germany has, of course, … a strong effect on the many jobs we create [in the U.S.,]” Merkel said.

The chancellor added the U.S. “should also take into account that [car maker] BMW has its largest production site not in Germany but in the United States … and exports more cars from there into third countries than Ford and General Motors combined.”