Trump vows to investigate EU over fining of US tech companies

What the report says

BBC World News reported that US President Donald Trump said his administration would open a trade investigation into the European Union and warned of possible new tariffs in response to EU penalties against major American technology companies. The remarks followed a European Commission decision fining Google €890m, about $1bn, over conduct regulators said disadvantaged rival services.

In a Truth Social post, Trump argued that penalties involving Google and other US firms, including Apple, Meta and Amazon, should be cancelled. He said the United States would begin a Section 301 investigation, a tool under the 1974 Trade Act that allows the US Trade Representative to examine trade practices considered unfair and potentially recommend responses. BBC reported that Trump also threatened what he called a substantial tariff and accused European regulators of using American companies as a source of money.

The dispute adds a trade dimension to long-running tensions between Washington, US technology groups and Brussels over digital competition rules. The EU has pursued several enforcement actions involving large platforms, while US officials and companies have often argued that European measures disproportionately affect American firms. BBC noted that Trump claimed Apple, Meta and Amazon had also faced multibillion-dollar EU fines, though the article did not independently establish the full basis of those figures.

Google spokesperson José Castañeda told the BBC the company had sought to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act while raising concerns about recent European Commission decisions, and said Google welcomed US government engagement. BBC said it had contacted Meta, Apple, Amazon and the European Commission for comment.