Trump initiates Section 301 probe against EU over tech antitrust fines
The White House cites alleged unfair regulatory practices as the European Commission levies new penalties on American technology giants, escalating tensions during fragile trade negotiations.
US President Donald Trump has announced the launch of a Section 301 investigation into the European Union, threatening to impose substantial tariffs in response to anti-competition fines levied against American technology companies. The move was announced via a post on Truth Social, citing the European Commission’s recent €890 million penalty against Google as the primary catalyst for the retaliatory trade action.
The investigation targets what the US administration describes as unfair regulatory practices, specifically highlighting fines imposed on Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta. Trump characterised the EU’s enforcement actions as “robbing” American companies and taxpayers, claiming the latest penalty against Google brought the total cumulative fines against the search giant to “over 18 Billion Dollars.” He did not provide a specific timeframe or evidence to substantiate this cumulative figure, despite EU courts recently upholding a separate record fine of over $4 billion for Google following a nearly eight-year legal review.
This announcement follows the recent imposition of new US tariffs on the EU and other trading partners, which the White House justified as measures to prevent imports made using forced labour. The decision to utilise Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 marks a strategic pivot for the administration, following a Supreme Court ruling that curtailed Trump’s authority to impose near-global levies during what he termed “Liberation Day” in 2025. Section 301 investigations allow the US to impose retaliatory sanctions if it deems another country to be engaging in unfair trade practices, with dozens of such probes currently in the pipeline.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had previously criticised the EU’s enforcement actions, warning that they posed a “real risk” to transatlantic trade stability and undermined constructive dialogue. The threat of new tariffs emerges amidst fragile negotiations for a broader trade agreement, with the Trump White House expressing frustration over the slow ratification process across the EU’s 27 member states and institutions in Brussels.
The escalation highlights the ongoing friction between the US and EU over the enforcement of anti-competition laws against major US tech firms. While trading partners including Japan and Australia have responded to recent US tariffs with a mixture of outrage and bafflement, the White House maintains that the EU will face a “very big price” for what it describes as illegal and unethical conduct. The administration has indicated that penalties against US firms must be reversed and that substantial tariffs will be placed on the EU at the earliest opportunity.
