Germany will seek common ground "wherever possible" with US President Donald Trump's administration, Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
Germany has Europe's biggest economy and the United States was its largest single trading partner in 2015, with German exports significantly outweighing imports from America.
"We will try to find common ground wherever possible," Merkel told reporters in Munich.
"We will see, issue by issue, where we can cooperate and where we have different opinions.
"But it's in Germany's interest to strengthen the common ground there is, where possible, on our part - from the co-operation of intelligence services to defence questions and, of course, the fact that the United States is the biggest trading partner for Germany."
Merkel has criticised the immigration restrictions imposed by Trump, but otherwise has been restrained in commenting on the new US administration.
Asked Monday whether German companies and banks need to be shielded from possible US protectionist measures, she replied, "I have no reason to speculate."
"We must see what the American administration does, and then will have to consider whether we react or don't react."
