Attendees at a business conference in Berlin laughed and applauded on Tuesday when organizers cut off U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross’ remarks.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Ross spoke onscreen for about 20 minutes at an event hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party before organizers cut off his video feed.

“That was the U.S. secretary of commerce, who had promised us a 10-minute statement,” Werner M. Bahlsen, head of the party’s economic council, told the audience, as quoted by Bloomberg. “As you saw, he spoke a bit slowly, so it took a bit longer. Now we look forward to the chancellor’s speech.”

Merkel then took the stage for her remarks.