BERLIN, June 5 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz views

itself as a "sounding board" that contributes ideas in tariff

negotiations between the European Union and the United States,

CEO Ola Kaellenius told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

newspaper on Thursday.

"As a company, we hold talks with political decision-makers

- in the EU as well as in China and the US," said Kaellenius.

"However, negotiations take place at EU level because trade

policy falls within the EU's remit. We are available as a

sounding board, contributing ideas and presenting scenarios

showing how certain decisions would affect us," he added.

Mercedes-Benz, as well as BMW and Volkswagen

, are in talks with Washington over a possible import

tariff deal, sources told Reuters late last month.

Under one proposal on the table, German carmakers would get

credits for cars they export from the United States, which could

then be deducted from tariffs, one of the sources said.

Kaellenius' interview was published hours before Germany's

new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, will hold his first face-to-face

talks with U.S. President Donald Trump as Europe seeks to stave

off looming U.S. tariffs.

(Writing by Miranda Murray

Editing by Madeline Chambers)