Trump threatens EU with tariffs over €890 million Google fine

Trump threatens EU with tariffs over €890 million Google fine

US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose tariffs on the European Union and initiate a formal trade investigation following Brussels' decision to fine Google €890 million for violating the bloc's Digital Markets Act.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the EU "will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about." He announced plans to "immediately initiate a 301 Investigation" into what he characterized as the EU's practice of "ROBBING" American companies, adding that he anticipated imposing a "substantial TARIFF" on the bloc "at the earliest possible moment."

"The United States of America is not a 'PIGGYBANK' for Europe, nor will we allow it to be," the president wrote.

First fines under landmark digital regulation

The European Commission on Thursday imposed the €890 million penalty on Google for breaching the Digital Markets Act, legislation that became enforceable in March 2024 after being first proposed in late 2020. The fine represents the first penalties imposed on Google under the DMA, though the company has faced five previous EU antitrust actions, bringing total European fines against the tech giant to €10.38 billion over nearly two decades.

Google was designated a DMA "gatekeeper" in September 2023, triggering formal investigations that opened in March 2024. Under the DMA, companies meeting specific thresholds—including annual turnover exceeding €7.9 billion, market capitalization above €75 billion, and at least 45 million monthly active users in the EU—face heightened regulatory scrutiny.

The Commission issued two separate decisions: a €460 million fine for favoring Google's own shopping, hotel, transport and sports services in search results, and a €430 million fine for restrictions that prevented app developers from directing users toward cheaper offers outside the Google Play store.

Google now has 60 days to comply with the Commission's decisions or face periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of worldwide turnover for continued non-compliance. The DMA allows fines reaching 10% of a company's total global turnover for violations.

Pattern of EU enforcement

Between 2017 and 2019, the EU imposed €8.2 billion in fines on Google across three separate cases: €2.42 billion for Google Shopping practices in 2017, €4.34 billion for Android-related conduct in 2018, and €1.49 billion for online advertising restrictions in 2019.

Trade tensions escalate

Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act allows Washington to investigate foreign practices it considers discriminatory and respond with tariffs. The Trump administration has initiated six such investigations as of June 2026, including probes affecting 60 economies related to forced labor import prohibitions.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had already criticized Thursday's EU decision, stating that the enforcement action undermined "constructive dialogue" and posed a "real risk" to transatlantic trade stability.

The conflict tests the trade framework agreed between Washington and Brussels in July 2025, which lowered US tariffs on European automobiles from 27.5% to 15% in exchange for EU commitments to purchase $750 billion worth of US energy and invest at least an additional $600 billion. The automobile tariff reductions, implemented retroactively to August 1, 2025, were conditional on the EU introducing legislation to reduce its own tariffs on American goods.

EU officials have repeatedly maintained that their digital rulebook does not target American firms specifically.