President Trump said the U.S. will open a Section 301 trade investigation into the European Union after the EU fined Google €890m, and he threatened substantial tariffs. Google said it has worked to comply with the Digital Markets Act and expressed appreciation for U.S. government engagement. Trump also cited unverified fine totals for Apple, Meta and Amazon; those figures have not been independently confirmed.
Trump Launches Trade Probe Into EU Over Fines On U.S. Tech Giants, Threatens Substantial Tariffs
US President Donald Trump has taken issue with European regulators in the past. [Reuters]
President Donald Trump announced that the United States will open a trade investigation into the European Union and warned that he may impose fresh tariffs in response to fines levied against major American technology companies.
What Trump Said
In a post on Truth Social, the social platform he owns, Mr. Trump said the EU would pay a "very big price" for what he described as unfair treatment of U.S. firms, singling out Google and naming Apple, Meta and Amazon as other targets of European action. He demanded that recent fines be "entirely reversed" and said Washington will "immediately initiate a 301 investigation" while considering a "substantial TARIFF."
"The United States Of America Is Not A 'PIGGYBANK' For Europe, Nor Will We Allow It To Be!"
Context And Legal Basis
The announcement followed a European Commission decision to fine Google €890m ($1bn) for allegedly favoring its own apps and disadvantaging rivals. Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to investigate and respond to trade practices it deems unfair. The current administration has opened several Section 301 investigations since taking office.
Tariff Threats And Previous Moves
The tariff threat came a day after Mr. Trump unveiled new tariffs of 10–12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, including the EU, the UK and China. He also previously warned of a potential 100% import tariff on any European country that introduces a digital services tax aimed at American tech companies—taxes that some countries have already adopted.
Industry Reaction And Unverified Claims
José Castañeda, a spokesman for Google, told the BBC that the company had "worked hard to comply" with the EU's Digital Markets Act and had expressed concerns about recent European Commission decisions. "We appreciate the engagement by the administration and US government," he added.
In his post, Mr. Trump cited specific fine totals for other companies—claiming Apple faced $15bn, Meta $3bn and Amazon $2.5bn in EU penalties—but these figures were not sourced and could not be verified by major news organizations at the time of reporting.
Background On Tech Investigations
Meta has been fined multiple times by EU authorities for issues including privacy and competition breaches and faces fresh scrutiny over allegedly "addictive" app features. Amazon has been investigated by the European Commission and in 2022 reached an agreement to change some practices in Europe. Apple has been involved in long-running disputes with European regulators, including a high-profile case over unpaid taxes.
Outlook
Representatives for Meta, Apple, Amazon and the European Commission were contacted for comment. The USTR's next steps could include formal inquiries, public hearings and the imposition of retaliatory tariffs, but any specific measures would depend on the outcome of investigations and subsequent legal and diplomatic processes.
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