Trump vows to punish EU with tariffs over Google fines in Truth Social tirade

Donald Trump has threatened to launch a trade investigation into the European Union and impose fresh tariffs after the bloc fined Google €890m ($1bn) for antitrust violations. In a post on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns, the US president said the EU would pay a “very big price” over its treatment of Google and other major American tech companies including Apple, Meta, and Amazon, which have also faced European penalties. “The United States of America is not a ‘PIGGYBANK’ for Europe, nor will we allow it to be!” he wrote. Trump called for any fines to be “entirely reversed” and said he was initiating a 301 investigation – a provision under the Trade Act of 1974 that gives the Office of the United States Trade Representative power to respond to unfair trade practices – while considering “a substantial TARIFF”. The tariff threat comes just one day after Trump announced new levies of between 10% and 12.5% on 60 trading partners, including the EU, UK, and China, and follows his earlier warning of a 100% import tariff on any European country that introduces a digital services tax on American tech giants. Major US technology companies, including Google, Meta, Apple, and Amazon, have donated millions of dollars to funds backing 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. In his post, Trump also claimed that Apple had received EU fines of $15bn, Meta fines of $3bn, and Amazon fines of $2.5bn – figures whose origin was not clear. Representatives of Meta, Apple, Amazon, and the European Commission have been contacted for comment. The row comes after Trump said shortly before his election in 2024 that Apple chief executive Tim Cook had called him directly to complain about European fines, following Apple’s loss of a long-running dispute over unpaid taxes.