Battery Show Europe participants complain about U.S. tariff uncertainty

The U.S. government's erratic tariff policy changes have created a great uncertainty and a challenging environment for global trade, said several participants at the ongoing Battery Show Europe, which kicked off on Tuesday in Stuttgart, Germany.

Running from June 3 to 5, the battery show has attracted more than 1,100 companies from around the world.

Many exhibitors at the event said they are taking a wait-and-see approach because of the tariff uncertainty in trade with the United States.

"This is a big problem for all our customers. All of them in this industry have had some U.S. projects suspended or postponed, because they want to see how things go," said Michele Farruggio, managing director of ZELL Surface Technology.

With fear of uncertainty, businesses may fall into chaos and fail to formulate complete business plans, according to the business leaders.

"Nobody knows what will happen, so let's see what will happen. Everybody is just expecting to see what will happen with the taxes, what will happen at the market. Nobody knows what will happen right now," said Esteve Llaurado, sales manager of European Integrated Production and Test Engineering Company (IPTE).

The U.S. tariffs have forced many European exporters to look for alternative markets, including China.

Bertrand Lebettre, head of applied engineering of SPIROL, said his company is seeking to expand businesses in the European and Chinese market.

"There are some new announcements every week, every two weeks. So, it's a big mess. We never know what will happen. I think that we should take this also as an opportunity for us in Europe and maybe in China to show our capabilities and maybe expand our [businesses]," Lebettre said.

Battery Show Europe participants complain about U.S. tariff uncertainty

Battery Show Europe participants complain about U.S. tariff uncertainty

Protests against federal immigration enforcement are spreading across the United States, with the latest demonstration unfolding directly in front of the White House.

Early Saturday, more than a hundred demonstrators gathered there, demanding changes to the Trump administration's immigration policies and accountability for recent shootings involving federal agents.

Immigrant rights and civil rights groups said this weekend's rallies mark a coordinated national response. Demonstrations are planned or already underway in major cities including Philadelphia, as well as across states such as North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and Washington, D.C., where organizers are calling for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be removed from local communities.

The nationwide protests follow a deadly week in which three people were shot by federal agents in two days.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, was killed during an enforcement operation by the ICE. A day later in Portland, Oregon, a man and a woman were wounded during a separate federal operation.

In the aftermath, Minnesota state officials accused the Trump administration of blocking their investigation by denying access to key evidence and prematurely drawing conclusions before a full review could be completed.

On Friday, Donald Trump defended the Department of Homeland Security's actions, sharply criticizing Minnesota leaders and calling them corrupt.

Local leaders have pushed back. During a Saturday news conference, the mayor of Minneapolis described ICE agents' actions as reckless.

Officials in both Minneapolis and Portland continue urging demonstrators to remain peaceful as protests intensify nationwide.

According to a 50501 Movement statement issued Friday, at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025.

Nationwide protests erupt in US after ICE shootings