Trump threatens tariffs over digital laws; EU counters

The EU remains unfazed by new tariff threats and demands from US president Donald Trump. Spokespeople for the European Commission, responsible for EU trade policy, made it clear in an initial reaction that the EU will not be dictated to by Trump regarding the rules it sets for digital platforms and businesses. They also referred to the recent agreements to resolve the trade conflict, which provide for a tariff ceiling of 15 percent for almost all products.

Trump announced on Monday evening (local time) on the platform Truth Social that, as US president, he would retaliate against countries that attack US technology companies. He threatened states that have a digital tax or digital regulations with additional tariffs on their exports to the US. He also threatened the imposition of export restrictions on US technology and computer chips if they do not change their regulations.

US companies are not a doormat

The US and US technology companies are no longer the "piggy bank" or the "doormat" of the world, he warned, adding: "Show America and our great technology companies respect – or bear the consequences!"

Trump did not explicitly mention the EU or individual EU member states. However, the US government has been demanding changes to the strict EU digital laws for some time. These laws aim to prevent, for example, the spread of misinformation via platforms like X. They also affect companies such as Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook), Alphabet (Google) and Microsoft.

The statement on the tariff agreement between the US and the EU speaks of a mutual commitment to "remove unjustified trade barriers in the digital sector". The interpretation of this, however, is likely to differ. The EU, unlike the US, does not consider its current rules to be unjustified.

A commission spokesperson stressed on Tuesday that the rules are not only about fair competition, but also about protecting children and democratic elections. Allegations that the EU's Digital Services Act, for example, is a censorship tool are completely unfounded.