US President Donald Trump during a dinner with tech leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025.
Will Oliver | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Donald Trump has escalated tensions with the European Union, threatening a Section 301 trade investigation to counter what he deems “discriminatory fines” levied against U.S. tech giants Google and Apple. The President’s statement, posted on Truth Social, arrived amidst ongoing scrutiny of transatlantic trade practices and the regulatory landscape facing American technology firms operating in Europe.
“We cannot let this happen to brilliant and unprecedented American Ingenuity and, if it does, I will be forced to start a Section 301 proceeding to nullify the unfair penalties being charged to these Taxpaying American Companies,” Trump stated on Truth Social.
The threat surfaces following the European Union’s imposition of a near-$3.5 billion antitrust fine on Google. The fine stems from an extensive investigation into Google’s advertising technology business, specifically concerning alleged anti-competitive practices related to its dominance in the ad tech market. Regulators argue that Google leverages its market power to unfairly favor its own services at the expense of competitors, distorting the digital advertising ecosystem.
The announcement also follows a dinner hosted by Trump at the White House with prominent tech executives.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai, present at the dinner, reportedly thanked Trump following a U.S. court ruling favorable to Alphabet in a separate antitrust case. Pichai expressed appreciation for the administration’s “constructive dialogue,” a statement that now carries added weight given the President’s subsequent pronouncements on European penalties.
Trump’s social media post contends that Europe is “effectively taking money that would otherwise go to American Investments and Jobs.” This stance reflects a broader concern within the administration regarding the impact of international regulations on the competitiveness of U.S. businesses and the repatriation of profits.
“This is on top of the many other Fines and Taxes that have been issued against Google and other American Tech Companies, in particular,” Trump added. “Very unfair, and the American Taxpayer will not stand for it!”
In a follow-up post, Trump further claimed that Google has previously paid $13 billion in “false claims and charges.” While the precise origin of this figure remains unclear, it underscores the perception of a pattern of regulatory challenges and financial burdens faced by the company.
The President also highlighted the EU’s actions against Apple, citing billions of dollars in back taxes and fines related to alleged anticompetitive behavior.
Trump’s post referenced a $17 billion figure related to Apple’s financial penalties, which seemingly includes a 2024 court ruling in Ireland ordering the company to pay over $14 billion in back taxes. The case centers around the EU’s assertion that Apple received unfair tax advantages from Ireland, effectively amounting to illegal state aid. The European Commission argued that these tax arrangements allowed Apple to significantly reduce its tax burden, giving it an unfair advantage over other companies.
“Apple ‘should get their money back!'” Trump asserted. Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the U.S. President to investigate and respond to unfair trade practices by foreign countries. Initiating such an investigation could lead to retaliatory tariffs or other trade restrictions on European goods, further escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and the EU. The impact on the global economy and the tech sector remains to be seen.
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