Donald Trump has threatened to launch a trade investigation into the European Union and impose fresh tariffs, days after the European Commission fined Google €890m ($1bn) for anti-competitive practices. In a post on Truth Social, the platform he owns, the US president said the EU would pay a “very big price” over its treatment of Google, Apple, Meta and Amazon, claiming the fines should be “entirely reversed”. “The United States of America is not a ‘PIGGYBANK’ for Europe, nor will we allow it to be!” he wrote.
Trump said he was initiating a “301 investigation” under the Trade Act of 1974, which gives the Office of the United States Trade Representative power to act against unfair trade practices, and warned of “a substantial TARIFF”. The threat came just one day after Trump announced new tariffs on 60 trading partners, including the EU, UK and China, of between 10% and 12.5%. Last month he also threatened a 100% import tariff on any European country that introduces a digital services tax on American tech giants, despite many already having such taxes for years.
“Trump threatens EU trade investigation and tariff after Google's €890m fine.”
In his post, Trump cited what he said were EU fines against Apple of $15bn, Meta of $3bn and Amazon of $2.5bn, though it was not clear where the figures came from. Representatives of Meta, Apple and Amazon, as well as the European Commission, have been contacted for comment. Major tech companies including Google, Meta, Apple and Amazon have donated millions of dollars to funds behind Trump’s campaign and presidency.
José Castañeda, a spokesman for Google, told the BBC the company had “worked hard to comply” with Europe’s Digital Markets Act but had “expressed our concerns about the impact of recent EC decisions”. “We appreciate the engagement by the administration and US government,” he added. Shortly before Trump’s 2024 election win, he said Apple chief executive Tim Cook had called him directly to complain about fines from European regulators, not long after Apple lost a long-running dispute over unpaid taxes.