FILE PHOTO: German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier attends a joint news conference after a meeting in Paris, France, September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - Increased clarity about Britain’s planned departure from the European Union has helped Germany avert the danger of a recession, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said in remarks published on Friday.

Altmaier also said he expects trade tensions between the United States and the European Union to ease. Donald Trump and the European Commission have imposed tariffs on traded goods and the U.S. president has threatened to impose levies on European cars and car parts.

“I don’t think that the U.S. president has a big interest in having a trade war with Europe one year before the election,” Der Spiegel magazine quoted Altmaier as saying.