Trump says the US will investigate EU trade practices, claiming the bloc
unfairly fined tech giants
[July 25, 2026] By
DARLENE SUPERVILLE and COLLIN BINKLEY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will open a formal investigation
into the European Union’s trade practices, President Donald Trump said
on Friday, claiming the bloc has unfairly levied billions of dollars of
fines against Google, Apple and other U.S. tech giants.
The Republican president made the announcement a day after the EU hit
Google with a fine of 890 million euros, or $1 billion, after it said
the technology behemoth broke digital antitrust regulations by setting
up Google Play and its ubiquitous search engine to corral consumers
toward its own services and apps to the detriment of competitors.
In a lengthy post on social media, Trump said he has warned the EU about
its practice of fining U.S. tech companies. He named Google, Apple,
Meta, Amazon and others.
“The United States of America is not a ‘PIGGYBANK’ for Europe, nor will
we allow it to be!” Trump said, adding that his post should serve as
notice of an immediate trade investigation “into the practice of
‘ROBBING’ American Companies and, in turn, the American Taxpayer.”
“The European Union will pay a very big price for this illegal and
highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about,”
he said.
In the post, Trump asserted that the penalties against the companies
“will be entirely reversed” and predicted “a substantial TARIFF” would
be placed on the EU “at the earliest possible moment.”
“Stay tuned!” he said.
Investigation follows new Trump tariffs
Trump's move comes a day after the White House announced double-digit
tariffs on imports from more than 60 countries, accusing them of
inadequately enforcing bans on goods produced by forced labor. The new
tariffs replace temporary 10% worldwide import taxes that Trump imposed
after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest tariffs.
The new tariffs are being implemented using Section 301 of the Trade Act
of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other
sanctions against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,”
“unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices.
José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, said the company has worked
hard to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act and has expressed its
concerns about the effects of recent decisions by the European
Commission.
"We appreciate the engagement by the administration and U.S.
government,” he said.
Representatives of Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft did not
immediately respond to requests for comment. There also was no immediate
comment from the Brussels-based European Commission.
Trump had threatened retaliation over EU fines
The EU's billion-dollar fine against Google was the latest major
crackdown on Big Tech by Brussels, which has led the world in reining in
some of the world’s largest companies from Silicon Valley to Beijing.
[to top of second column] |
President Donald Trump holds a championship ring during an event to
honor the 2025 World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers in the
Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, July 23, 2026, in
Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
 It has done so despite the risk of
incurring the wrath of Trump, who has lashed out at the 27-nation
bloc’s digital regulations in a broader campaign against Europe:
imposing high tariffs, making threats to seize Greenland from
Denmark by force, and rattling trust within the NATO military
alliance.
Trump had threatened retaliation if American tech companies are
penalized.
Google had recently lost its appeal of a $4.5 billion antitrust fine
imposed by the EU for throttling competition and reducing consumer
choice through the dominance of its mobile Android operating system.
The European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch and highest
antitrust enforcer, said it was acting in the interest of consumers
after an investigation of Google.
“The best products should succeed because they’re better, not
because they’re owned by the company running the search engine. And
European consumers have a right to be told by app developers where
to sign up to the best offers, even when the app store owner does
not get a cut,” said Teresa Ribera, the commission’s executive vice
president for clean, just and competitive transition.
Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, assailed the fine
as “product degradation driven by a small group of self-serving
complainants” that will hurt European businesses and consumers.
He said the EU’s Digital Markets Act forces Google “to strip away
real-time search features Europeans love — like instant pricing and
direct availability for hotels, flights, and restaurants — and
dismantle safety protections on Google Play.”
The EU describes some of the world’s leading tech giants — Amazon,
Apple, Google parent Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok owner
ByteDance — as “gatekeepers” that control access for consumers.
“In the EU, businesses have the right to compete fairly. Gatekeepers
have the obligation to ensure a level playing field and consumers
the right to choose for cheaper alternative offers,” European
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said. Alphabet reported $403
billion in revenue last year.
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Associated Press writer Kaitlyn Huamani in Los Angeles contributed
to this report.
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