Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into the European Union and threatened a new tariff, days after the European Commission fined Google €890m ($1bn) for squeezing out competitors. In a post on Truth Social – the social media platform he owns – the US president said the bloc would pay a "very big price" for its treatment of Google, Apple, Meta and Amazon. "The United States of America is not a 'PIGGYBANK' for Europe, nor will we allow it to be!" he wrote.
Trump demanded that any fines imposed on the American tech giants be "entirely reversed" and announced he was initiating a trade investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which empowers the Office of the United States Trade Representative to respond to unfair trade practices. He added that he was considering "a substantial TARIFF" over what he described as European regulators "robbing American companies and, in turn, the American taxpayer".
“Trump threatens EU investigation and tariff after Google fined €890m, calling EU a 'piggybank' for US tech firms.”
The threat came just one day after Trump unveiled new tariffs on 60 trading partners – including the EU, the UK and China – ranging between 10% and 12.5%. It also follows his warning last month of a 100% import tariff on any European country introducing a digital services tax on American technology giants, despite many such nations already having them in place for years.
Major US tech firms, including Google, Meta, Apple and Amazon, have donated millions of dollars to funds behind Trump’s campaign and presidency. In his latest post, Trump claimed Apple had received $15bn in EU fines, Meta $3bn, and Amazon $2.5bn – though the source of those figures was unclear. Representatives of Meta, Apple and Amazon, as well as the European Commission, have been contacted for comment.
José Castañeda, a spokesman for Google, told the BBC the company had "worked hard to comply" with Europe's Digital Markets Act but "expressed our concerns about the impact of recent EC decisions". He added: "We appreciate the engagement by the administration and US government."
Trump’s latest move echoes a pattern of confrontation with European regulators. Shortly before his election in 2024, he said Apple chief executive Tim Cook had called him directly to complain about EU fines – a call that came not long after Apple lost a long-running dispute over unpaid taxes. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has been fined several times. The 301 investigation could escalate tensions further, with the EU now facing the prospect of retaliatory tariffs on its exports to the United States.