BERLIN, April 4 (Xinhua) -- German companies are losing interest in investing in the U.S. as the Trump Administration adopted more and more protective trade policies, German business newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Wednesday, citing a survey by the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK).
According to the survey, 35 percent of the interviewed 5,000 internationally active German companies are willing to invest in the United States in 2018, down from 37 percent last year.
"The new U.S. Administration is causing uncertainties," said Volker Treier, deputy CEO of DIHK, "the protective trade policies could cut the international production chains."
The DIHK foreign trade expert said that U.S. new tariffs on exporting steel and aluminum as well as the trade conflicts with China deepened the fears of German investors.
Besides, German companies also fear that the renewed negotiations of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could cause new tension in the region's supply chains.
As fewer German companies are planning to invest in the U.S,, the total German investments in abroad hit record high. German investors are willing to expand in all regions of the world but the U.S., showing deep fears of U.S. protectionism among Germany industries.
The president of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), Dieter Kempf, on Monday also warned that the U.S. government is putting the world trade system at risk by blocking the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"The U.S. government's trade agenda calls for reform of the WTO, but in practice Washington is undermining international trade law," Kempf said in a statement, adding that the United States recently prevented the overdue appointment of WTO appeals judges.
Kempf said challenges relating to global trade can only be resolved multilaterally.