German Car Giants Get Cold Comfort From EU Competition Commissioner Ahead of Tariffs

Germany’s beleaguered car industry brought upon itself the diesel-cheating scandal that spilled over into an antitrust probe, European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager warned. While manufacturers brace for U.S. President Donald Trump to raise levies on car imports, Vestager said her probe into possible collusion between Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG and BMW AG is "making good progress" and would be treated independently of any U.S. decision. "Whatever our investigation will show, the problem here is the diesel scandal -- and that the car industry brought upon itself," the competition commissioner said in an interview with Bloomberg News the day after she issued Google with a record 4.3 billion euro ($5 billion) antitrust fine.