Trump vows substantial tariffs on EU over measures against US tech companies

Business & Economy July 24, 22:19

The US president described the EU’s actions against American technology companies as "illegal and highly discriminatory"

WASHINGTON, July 24. /TASS/. Washington will impose substantial tariffs on imports from the European Union and seek to overturn fines imposed on American tech giants, US President Donald Trump said.

"The European Union will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about," he wrote on Truth Social, commenting on the European Union’s move to fine Google almost $1 billion.

"The penalties will be entirely reversed and, we anticipate, a substantial tariff to be placed on them at the earliest possible moment," Trump added.

He described the EU’s actions against US technology companies as "illegal and highly discriminatory." According to Trump, the practice, which he said began under former US President Joe Biden, is not going to continue under his administration.

Earlier, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that the EU’s recent actions "pose a real risk to the continuation of transatlantic stability with respect to trade" between Washington and Brussels. He argued that the European Commission’s steps against Google "represent a de facto forced technology transfer and intellectual property theft, and impose unreasonable financial penalties."

According to the European Commission, the fine followed an investigation that found Google had given preferential treatment to its own services. The commission also accused the company of creating barriers for developers distributing apps through Google Play. Earlier, the EU fined Apple, Meta (designated as extremist and banned in Russia) and Amazon.

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