Trump threatens 'substantial tariffs' on EU after Google fine

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose "substantial tariffs" on European Union imports in response to the EU Commission's recent imposition of an 890 million euro ($1 billion) fine on Google. The fine was levied against the U.S. tech giant for alleged unfair business practices.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that the European Union would face a "very high price" for what he termed its "illegal and highly unethical behavior," behavior he claimed to have repeatedly warned them against. He indicated that an investigation would be initiated to scrutinize what he described as "rip-offs of American companies and thus American taxpayers."

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The European Union will pay a very high price for this illegal and highly unethical behavior, which I have repeatedly warned them about.

Trump's threat likely invokes Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, which empowers the government to take action, including imposing tariffs, against trade practices deemed "unjustified, unreasonable, or discriminatory." Such actions require prior investigations, public comments, and hearings.

Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also announced new tariffs on approximately 60 trading partners, citing insufficient measures against forced labor, also under Section 301. The EU Commission's penalty against Google stems from accusations that the company violated competition rules through its search engine and Google Play marketplace. The Commission contends that Google unfairly disadvantaged competitors by promoting its own services, such as sports results and hotel searches, more prominently in search results, often through visually highlighted displays.

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an investigation will be initiated to shed more light on a 'rip-off of American companies and thus American taxpayers.'