DONALD TRUMP HAS threatened to impose \u201csubstantial\u201d tariffs on the European Union over fines that the bloc has placed on a number of US tech giants.<\/p>\n
The EU this week hit Google with fines<\/a>\u00a0totalling \u20ac890 million for illegally favouring its own services over rivals in search results, and from barring app developers from showing consumers offers, free of charge, outside the Google Play store.<\/p>\n The penalties are the largest yet against a single company under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU\u2019s signature tech competition law.<\/p>\n In 2025, the bloc fined Meta \u20ac200 million and Apple \u20ac500 million under the same rules.<\/p>\n In a post on Truth Social this evening, the US president said the EU is \u201cat it again and, as usual, taking direct aim at GREAT American Companies!\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe United States of America is not a \u201cPIGGYBANK\u201d for Europe, nor will we allow it to be!,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n He said he would immediately \u201cinitiate a 301 Investigation into the practice of \u201cROBBING\u201d American Companies and, in turn, the American Taxpayer\u201d.<\/p>\n Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act allows Washington to probe foreign practices it deems discriminatory and retaliate with tariffs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe European Union will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThe penalties will be entirely reversed and, we anticipate, a substantial TARIFF to be placed on them at the earliest possible moment. Stay tuned!\u201d.<\/p>\n US trade representative Jamieson Greer had already criticised the EU\u2019s decision to fine Google on Thursday, saying the action undermined \u201cconstructive dialogue\u201d and posed a \u201creal risk\u201d to transatlantic trade stability.<\/p>\n