Trump threatens trade probe over EU tech fines

President Trump has warned that the U.S. could retaliate against Europe over multibillion-dollar penalties on Google and Apple, escalating long-running trade tensions.

President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to launch a trade investigation into European Union penalties against U.S. tech firms. The warning, posted to Truth Social, came after Google was hit with a multibillion-dollar antitrust fine.

Trump said he may invoke Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows U.S. officials to investigate and respond to unfair foreign trade practices. That process could potentially lead to retaliatory action, such as tariffs and trade restrictions.

He argued that Europe was unfairly targeting American companies like Google and Apple. Trump claimed the penalties diverted money away from U.S. investment and jobs.

The threat was prompted by a $3.45 billion penalty levied against Google from EU regulators over advertising technology practices. According to CNBC, regulators accused Google of giving its own advertising technology an unfair advantage, hurting rival adtech companies, advertisers, and online publishers.

Trump also criticized EU actions against Apple, citing $17 billion in fines. That figure appears to include a 2024 Irish court ruling requiring Apple to pay over $14 billion in back taxes.

Trump, unsurprisingly, went on to say that he thought Apple should “get their money back.”

The post came one day after hosting several top tech executives at the White House. Among the group was Apple CEO, Tim Cook, who took the opportunity to thank Trump for his focus on innovation.