May 23 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Johann

Wadephul on Friday said U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to

raise tariffs on European Union trade helped nobody, and that

Berlin would continue to support the EU to negotiate with

Washington.

Speaking alongside his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam

Jaishankar in Berlin, Wadephul also said Germany hoped the EU

would agree a free trade deal with India by the end of the year.

Trump said he would recommend a 50% tariff on the EU to

begin on June 1, which would result in stiff levies on luxury

items, pharmaceuticals and other goods produced by European

manufacturers. It, along with a separate threat targeting

smartphone maker Apple ( AAPL ), sent the global market roiling

after weeks of de-escalation provided some reprieve.

The European Commission "has our full support in

maintaining our access to the American market, and I believe

such tariffs don't help anyone. They would only cause economic

development in both markets to suffer," Wadephul said.

"That's why we continue to pursue negotiations and

support the European Commission. We want to defend Europe and

the European market while simultaneously exerting the power of

persuasion in America."

Separately, Wadephul said he had discussed deepening

defence ties and Indo-Pacific security with Jaishankar.

(Reporting by Matthias Williams

Editing by Ludwig Burger and Thomas Seythal)