Germany's Merz Urges Wider Rules-Based Trade Alliance at Seoul Business Conference

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a wider coalition of countries to defend rules-based international trade during a business conference in Seoul on Friday, October 30, arguing that commercial partnerships should extend beyond individual bilateral agreements.

Addressing the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business, Merz said Europe should work with like-minded countries to strengthen the international trading system. His remarks were a policy proposal and an appeal for cooperation, not the announcement of a new treaty or the establishment of a formal trade organisation.

Merz proposed a political alliance supporting trade rules and the World Trade Organization, while arguing that the European Union could build stronger connections with regional trade frameworks in Asia and the Pacific. He warned against treating supply chains, access to advanced technologies and raw materials as instruments of geopolitical pressure. The proposals do not, by themselves, change tariffs or market-access rules for businesses.

The Seoul address came at the end of a trip that also took the German chancellor to Singapore and Japan. It followed his Thursday summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, when the governments agreed to elevate bilateral ties. That earlier diplomatic agreement is separate from Friday's appeal for broader international trade cooperation.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Seongsuk used the conference to encourage closer industrial cooperation with Germany in semiconductors, batteries and artificial intelligence in manufacturing. She pointed to the two economies' complementary strengths in chipmaking equipment and industrial production, as well as the potential for joint work on technical standards.

South Korean and German companies and organisations also signed nine memoranda of understanding in fields including energy, electricity, startups and biohealth, according to South Korea's industry ministry. Such memoranda express cooperation intentions and do not establish that all the projects have received funding or entered operation.

The conference brought together government officials and business leaders from Germany and the Asia-Pacific region. Merz's message highlights a policy direction in favour of multilateral trade cooperation at a time of growing pressure on global supply chains. Any new trade arrangements would still require negotiations and decisions by the governments and institutions concerned.