BERLIN (AP) — Germany's foreign minister says President Donald Trump risks sparking a trade war with Europe over proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, which will only benefit others.

Trump on Thursday said he would levy penalties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum.

Germany is the top European Union steel exporter to the U.S. and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Friday the tax would jeopardize thousands of jobs in Europe needlessly, because "there's no unfair competition or dumping prices from German or European firms."

Urging Trump to rethink his plans, Gabriel says "the threat of difficult trade strife between the U.S. and Europe is neither in the interest of Europe or the U.S. Here goes the saying: 'when two fight with each other, it pleases the third.'"