German auto-industry leaders are making the case to the Trump administration that a trade feud with the U.S. will cause irreparable damage to global business.

The chief executive officers of

Volkswagen AG,Daimler AG andBMW AG met Wednesday with the U.S ambassador to Germany to discuss looming American duties on car imports from the European Union, according to people familiar with the matter.

The meeting, reported earlier by Handelsblatt newspaper, was aimed at forming a

direct link to the administration, said the people, who asked not to be named as the talks were private. The head of parts makerContinental AG also was in attendance, one of the people said.