Trump threatens EU with trade action over tech fines

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to take firm action against the European Union after it imposed billions of dollars in fines on major American technology companies, including Google, Apple, Meta, and Amazon.

Trump noted that the EU recently levied a new $1 billion fine against Google, bringing the total fines imposed on the company to more than $18 billion. He added that the EU has previously fined Apple $15 billion, Meta $3 billion, and Amazon $2.5 billion.

The president said these practices began to escalate during the first year of his administration, stressing that they will not continue in the future and that the United States will not allow itself to be treated as a "cash box" for Europe.

Trump also announced the immediate launch of an investigation under Section 301 into what he described as the "plundering" of American companies and taxpayers, vowing to overturn the penalties and impose major tariffs on the EU as soon as possible.

The EU has previously imposed large fines on US tech companies over alleged violations of competition and data protection rules, measures the United States rejects as discriminatory.