Support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal has plummeted on both sides of the Atlantic.
A survey published by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows a dramatic collapse in support for the deal in Germany, with just 17 per cent backing it compared to 55 per cent in 2014.
A similar fall happened in the United States, with 18 per cent supporting the deal now, compared to 53 per cent in 2014.
However, knowledge of the deal remains low with almost half of American respondents saying they did not know enough about the agreement.
Politico.EU says the biggest fears in Germany are that the deal could lead to lower standards for products, less consumer protection and endanger the labour market.
Although the figure has dropped, a majority of Germans still nonetheless see free trade as a good thing, with 56 per cent in support, compared to 88 per cent in 2014.
Aart de Geus, CEO of Bertelsmann, said that Germans are worried about how the deal could affect exports.
“Support for trade agreements is fading in a country that views itself as the global export champion,” he said.
TTIP will likely be one of the main topics on the table when U.S. President Barack Obama visits Europe this weekend, with negotiators desperate to finalise a deal before his successor takes office in January next year.
Breitbart London reported last week how negotiators fear the deal could be delayed by another two to three years, or even scuppered all together, as the next U.S. president tries to stamp their authority over the deal.
John Emerson, the United States ambassador to Germany, added that European elections may also then delay the deal even further.
“The other issue is, it isn’t just the American election. You get into the French elections and then the German election. Those push the process out.”
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