Christian Lindner on Free Trade

Christian Lindner affirms the Free Democratic Party's long-standing position on market liberalism and free trade, seeing it as a core tenet of his political philosophy. His party was historically the most vocal supporter of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) among German political parties. He views such agreements, like the planned TTIP, as essential for strengthening transatlantic relations and unlocking significant economic opportunities for Germany and its partners.

Globally, he frames free trade as one of the key opportunities for fostering development, particularly in emerging markets such as in Africa. However, his advocacy is often framed through the lens of liberal democracies; he has recently advocated for a "free-trade zone of liberal democracies in the world" as a means to counter geopolitical rivals like China. Furthermore, he warned against trade conflicts between the EU and the US, stating they harm both sides, and called for improved transatlantic trade relations.