BERLIN, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel "read with interest" U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's interview with German newspaper Bild, in which he threatened German carmaker BMW with a border tax on cars built in Mexico, her spokesman said on Monday.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert declined to comment on specific remarks in the interview and told a regular government news conference Germany would aim for close cooperation with the new U.S. administration. Trump is due to be sworn in on Friday.

"We will see what policy really is after the inauguration on Friday," added Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer.

(Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Andrea Shalal)