Trump Threatens EU Over Tech Fines – 301 Probe and Potential Tariffs

In a scathing post on his Truth Social platform, former 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump announced that the United States will launch a full‑scale investigation into the European Union over its recent $1 billion fine on Google. Trump’s remarks came after the European Commission imposed a €890 million penalty on the search giant for allegedly stifling rivals.

“The United States of America is not a PIGGYBANK for Europe, nor will we allow it to be!” Trump wrote, calling for the fines on Google—and on other American tech firms such as Apple, Meta and Amazon—to be reversed entirely.

The president also declared that the US would “immediately initiate a 301 investigation” against EU regulators for alleged “robbery” of American companies and the taxpayer. Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 gives the U.S. Trade Representative the power to interrogate and respond to unfair trade practices.

Behind the attack, Trump had called for a 10‑12.5% tariff on 60 trading partners, including the EU, and vowed a 100% import tax on any European country that imposes a digital‑services tax on U.S. tech giants. Trump’s campaign has received funding from Google, Meta, Apple and Amazon in the past, and the companies have repeatedly threatened to launch legal challenges in U.S. courts.

Google’s spokesperson José Castañeda told the BBC that the company had complied with the EU’s Digital Markets Act but remained “concerned” about the regulatory environment. Trump’s accusations of $15 bn in Apple fines, $3 bn in Meta fines and $2.5 bn in Amazon fines are unverified, and it remains unclear where that data came from.

If the 301 investigation goes ahead, Trump’s UAE‑style tariff threat could severely undermine EU‑US trade relations, while independent WTO observers warn that it risks a multi‑pronged trade war unfolding over American tech companies’ regulatory challenges in the EU.