EU executive concerned that U.S. could move to car tariffs - Oettinger

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commissioner is concerned that the United States will end its detente with the European Union and impose tariffs on imported cars and this could happen soon, Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said, according to his spokeswoman.

German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche reported that the Commissioner for the EU budget had told an event in Brussels on Wednesday evening: "I expect U.S. car tariffs before Christmas."

His spokeswoman said Oettinger denied saying this and that his comment was instead:

"We are concerned that the moratorium will not hold and that it could come to car tariffs. We also cannot exclude that this could happen soon."

(Reporting by Peter Maushagen; writing by Philip Blenkinsop)