Trump EU trade investigation targets tech fines
Trump said the U.S. will investigate EU trade practices after fines on Google, Apple, Meta and Amazon, raising the threat of tariffs.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
President Trump said Friday that a Trump EU trade investigation is starting over penalties imposed on major American tech companies, escalating a fight with Brussels over how it regulates Silicon Valley.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his administration would begin a probe under Section 301 of the Trade Act “immediately.” He accused the European Union of “robbing” U.S. companies and American taxpayers through fines against firms including Apple, Meta, Amazon and Google.
Trump wrote that the EU would “pay a very big price” for what he called illegal and unethical conduct. He also said the penalties against the companies “will be entirely reversed” and suggested that a “substantial TARIFF” could be imposed on the EU “at the earliest possible moment.”
The move follows fresh EU action against Google. The bloc announced Thursday that it was fining the company 890 million euros, about $1 billion, over what EU officials said were violations of antitrust rules tied to Google Play and the company’s search engine.
What is a Section 301 investigation?
Section 301 is a U.S. trade-law tool used to examine whether another country’s actions are unfair to American commerce. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, such investigations look at whether the conduct is “unreasonable or discriminatory” and whether it burdens or restricts U.S. trade.
If a U.S. investigation finds unfair trade practices, the law can be used to impose tariffs or other penalties. Trump’s Friday announcement signals that his administration is treating the EU’s tech enforcement as a trade issue, rather than only a regulatory dispute.
Which tech companies are involved?
Trump pointed to EU penalties involving several of the biggest U.S. technology companies. The companies named in the dispute include Apple, Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, Amazon and Google.
The latest named penalty is the EU’s fine against Google. EU officials said the 890 million euro fine was tied to antitrust breaches involving Google Play and search, according to the announcement cited in the report.
Trump’s post did not lay out a timetable for the Section 301 process beyond saying it would begin immediately. He also did not specify the possible tariff rate on European goods.
How this fits Trump’s tariff push
The EU dispute is part of a wider turn to trade-law powers by the Trump administration. The administration has also used Section 301 to investigate Brazil, India, Japan and other trading partners, according to CBS News reporting.
On Thursday, the White House announced tariffs on products from 60 U.S. trading partners that it said had failed to crack down on forced labor. Those tariff rates run from 10% to 12.5% and took effect Friday at 12:01 a.m.
Those duties replaced a 10% levy on most imports that had been imposed under Section 122, a separate trade authority that expired Friday. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court struck down broad tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner that had been invoked under a federal emergency powers law.
After that ruling, the administration shifted to other trade authorities, including Section 122 and Section 301, to keep tariffs in play. Trump has made tariffs a central part of his economic agenda, and the new EU probe puts another major trading partner directly in the line of fire.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.