Trump Threatens Trade Probe Over EU’s “Unfair” Fines on Google and Apple
President Donald Trump warned on Friday that he may launch a trade investigation under Section 301 in response to what he called “discriminatory” penalties imposed by the European Union on American tech giants like Google and Apple.
“We cannot allow this to happen to American innovation. If it continues, I will be forced to initiate a Section 301 proceeding to cancel these unfair penalties placed on U.S. companies,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
His statement followed the EU’s announcement of a $3.5 billion fine against Google in a high-profile antitrust case targeting its advertising technology division.
The remarks also came a day after Trump hosted a White House dinner with top tech CEOs, including Google’s Sundar Pichai, who praised the administration’s “constructive dialogue” after a favorable U.S. antitrust ruling.
Trump argued that Europe is “taking money that should be going toward American investments and jobs,” adding that “the American taxpayer will not stand for it.”
In a separate post, he claimed Google has previously paid $13 billion in false charges, although the source of that figure was unclear. The search giant has, however, faced multiple multibillion-dollar regulatory fines in recent years.
Trump also blasted the EU’s treatment of Apple, pointing to back taxes and fines totaling more than $17 billion, largely stemming from a 2024 Irish court ruling requiring the iPhone maker to pay over $14 billion in back taxes.
“Apple should get their money back!” Trump wrote.
