BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that if there was no international agreement on taxing digital companies by the second half of next year, Europe should go ahead anyway.

Merkel also, however, expressed optimism that a global solution would be reached given that U.S. President Donald Trump is also interested in achieving that.

(Reporting by Michelle Martin and Madeline Chambers) ((MichelleHannah.Martin@thomsonreuters.com; +49 30 2888 5223; Reuters Messaging: MichelleHannah.Martin.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))