A Pivotal Gathering: NRW Business Elite Meet von der Leyen in Brussels
NRW business heads confer with von der Leyen in Brussels discussions - Commission Has Engaged in Drafting Directive to Safeguard Workers from Radiation Hazards
Twelve bosses of influential companies and NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) will sit down with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen next Wednesday (2 July) in Brussels. During a crucial phase of EU-US trade negotiations, these NRW business titans will discuss the hurdles and advantages facing the European market.
This working lunch with von der Leyen will see the participation of the CEOs from Eon, Henkel, Evonik, Uniper, Thyssenkrupp, DHL, Rheinmetall, Hochtief, Rewe, Lufthansa, Covestro, and Lanxess, as announced by the NRW State Chancellery.
Germany and NRW, the powerhouse of industries, are significantly impacted by current global and intra-European patterns, according to government circles. The CEOs present at the Brussels meeting are responsible for approximately 500 billion euros in revenue and nearly 1.5 million employees.
"It's crucial that we communicate our needs as a significant industrial force in Europe to the EU's highest ranks," Wüst explained recently, stressing the importance of preventing words like transformation escalate into deindustrialization.
Trade Talks: A Pressing Matter
Time is running out for Europe in its trade dispute with the US. US President Donald Trump has postponed high import tariffs for 90 days, with this respite ending on 9 July. Trump has already hinted at imposing tariffs of up to 50 percent on EU imports. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has called for a quickening of negotiations and a prompt decision for vital sectors like the automotive, machinery, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
- Crucial Discussion
- Brussels
- NRW
- Hendrik Wüst
- CDU
- EU
- Germany
- Europe
- USA
- Düsseldorf
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Ursula von der Leyen
- Evonik Steag
- ThyssenKrupp
- DHL
- Rheinmetall
Challenges
- Tariff Clash and Deindustrialization Threat: The looming tariff confrontation with the United States has reached a turning point, with the temporary deferment of high US import tariffs set to lapse soon (9 July 2025). Donald Trump has warned of imposing tariffs as high as 50% on EU imports, which poses a substantial risk to key European industries such as automotive, mechanical engineering, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and energy. NRW, as Germany’s industrial nerve center, is particularly susceptible to such disruptions. The NRW leaders have expressed concerns that the rhetoric of industrial modernization should not culminate in deindustrialization in Europe[1].
- Impact of International and Intra-European Developments: As the largest industrial country in Europe, Germany, and NRW, its industrial heart, are influenced heavily by ongoing trade uncertainties and broader geopolitical shifts. These global trends challenge the stability and competitiveness of the regional economy and its vast workforce[1].
Opportunities
- Advocating for Industry with EU Leadership: The meeting aimed to amplify the voice of NRW’s major industrial players within EU leadership, emphasizing the necessity of efficient trade negotiations to safeguard and promote European industry[1].
- EU’s Initiative for Trade Cooperation Reform: Von der Leyen has proposed establishing a Europe-led initiative to formulate structured trade cooperation, aiming to surpass the inadequacies of the current World Trade Organization framework. This initiative might involve increased collaboration with CPTPP members and the UK, providing possibilities to reshape global trade rules in favor of open, rule-based trade[2].
- Prospect for a Trade Agreement: Von der Leyen has shown willingness to negotiate a resolution to the tariff dilemma, signaling EU intent to find a solution before the tariff suspension deadline expires. This paves the way to prevent an escalation and to secure stable trade relations with the US[3].
All in all, the NRW business elite are predominantly concerned about the immediate threat posed by the US tariff quandary and its potential industrial ramifications, but they perceive an opportunity in heightened EU leadership and new trade initiatives to stabilize and advance European industry within a reimagined global trade environment. Their dialogues with von der Leyen further the necessity of balancing industrial modernization with protecting Europe’s manufacturing core amid critical international negotiations[1][2][3].
- The NRW business elite are scheduled to meet with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels next week to discuss the hurdles and advantages facing the European market during a crucial phase of EU-US trade negotiations.
- Hendrik Wüst, NRW Minister President and CDU leader, has highlighted the importance of communicating the needs of Germany's industrial powerhouse, NRW, to the EU's highest ranks to prevent the escalation of industrial transformation into deindustrialization.
- As the impending tariff confrontation with the United States nears resolution, NRW leaders are expressing concerns about the substantial risk it poses to European industries such as automotive, mechanical engineering, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and energy.
- In an effort to promote efficient trade negotiations and safeguard European industry, the NRW CEOs participating in the Brussels meeting are responsible for approximately 500 billion euros in revenue and nearly 1.5 million employees.
