FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures as she holds the annual summer news conference in Berlin, Germany, July 20, 2018. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday she thought U.S. tariffs on imported cars would be against World Trade Organisation rules and endanger the prosperity of many people.

The European Union was working on countermeasures but these would be by far the worst solution, she added.

“We see these potential tariffs not only as a violation of WTO rules, but also as a real threat to the prosperty of many in the world,” Merkel told a news conference.