Trump Threatens Tariffs Over EU’s Google Penalty
Threatens tariffs, defends US tech giants’ interests.
US President Donald Trump denounced the European Union’s $3.47 billion antitrust fine against Google as “very unfair,” threatening retaliatory tariffs if the bloc does not reverse the penalty. The remarks, posted on Truth Social on September 5, 2025, came a day after Trump hosted a high-profile White House dinner with tech leaders, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and co-founder Sergey Brin, highlighting his administration’s alignment with American tech giants.
“Europe today ‘hit’ another great American company, Google, with a $3.5 Billion Dollar fine, effectively taking money that would otherwise go to American Investments and Jobs,” Trump wrote, arguing that the fine undermines US economic interests. He claimed the penalty is part of a pattern of EU actions against American firms, citing a 2016 case where Apple was ordered to pay Ireland €13 billion in back taxes plus interest. “They should get their money back!” Trump demanded, vowing to initiate a Section 301 investigation to “nullify the unfair penalties” if the EU does not comply.
The EU’s fine, announced on September 5, 2025, targeted Google’s anti-competitive practices in its ad tech business, marking the company’s fourth major penalty in a decade-long battle with EU regulators. The European Commission, led by antitrust chief Teresa Ribera, accused Google of abusing its market dominance by favoring its own advertising services, harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers. Google was ordered to end these “self-preferencing practices” within 60 days and plans to appeal the decision.
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Trump’s comments followed a celebratory moment at the White House dinner, where he congratulated Pichai and Brin on a US judge’s ruling rejecting the government’s push to force Google to sell its Chrome browser in a separate antitrust case. The dinner, attended by other tech titans, underscored Trump’s pro-business stance, particularly toward Silicon Valley, as he seeks to shield US companies from foreign regulations.
The EU’s aggressive regulatory approach has long been a point of contention with the US, with Trump arguing that European privacy and antitrust laws unfairly target American firms. He claimed Google has paid $16.5 billion in EU fines, including penalties of €4.3 billion in 2018, €2.42 billion in 2017, and €1.49 billion in 2019, calling the practice “crazy” and demanding it stop immediately.
The threat of a Section 301 investigation, which could lead to tariffs, adds strain to US-EU trade relations, already tense after a controversial trade framework agreed upon in July 2025. European leaders, wary of Trump’s tariff threats, had paused the Google fine earlier in the week due to concerns over US retaliation, particularly on European car exports. However, the decision to proceed, driven by a complaint from the European Publishers Council, reflects the EU’s resolve to regulate Big Tech despite geopolitical risks.
As Trump escalates his rhetoric, the clash highlights broader tensions over global tech regulation and trade, with the US positioning itself as a defender of its tech giants against what it sees as discriminatory European policies. The outcome of this dispute could reshape transatlantic economic ties and influence the global tech landscape.
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