Altmaier said at an event hosted by the German Marshall Fund that it would be in the interest of both sides to move forward on those issues that could be agreed upon, deferring an ongoing dispute about whether agricultural products should be included in any trade deal between the two economic blocs.

"We are ready to talk about regulatory cooperation and mutual recognition of certificates for products, especially from America," Altmaier said. "If there is a political will, we could come to a solution before the end of the year."