Trump Vows to Reverse EU Fines on Apple, Google, Meta, Threatens Tariffs

President Donald Trump escalated the U.S. trade dispute with the European Union on Thursday, announcing plans to launch a Section 301 trade investigation and threatening "substantial" tariffs in response to what he described as "illegal and highly unethical" measures taken against Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, and other American technology companies.



In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump claimed the U.S. is being treated as a "PIGGYBANK" and said his administration will "immediately initiate a 301 Investigation into the practice of 'ROBBING' American Companies and, in turn, the American Taxpayer." He added that "the penalties will be entirely reversed and, we anticipate, a substantial TARIFF to be placed on them at the earliest possible moment."


Trump cited specific figures, claiming Apple had been fined "$15 Billion," along with $3 billion against Meta, $2.5 billion against Amazon, and more than $18 billion against Google.

Trump's Apple figure combines the EU's 2024 ruling requiring Ireland to recover €13 billion in unpaid taxes, a recovery order rather than a fine, with the €500 million Digital Markets Act penalty imposed in 2025. Google's total includes the €890 million European Commission penalty announced this week over Google Search self-preferencing and Google Play anti-steering practices.

The threat comes just days after 25 Republican members of Congress urged the administration to use Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 against the EU's Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, arguing the rules disproportionately burden American technology firms.

Tariffs cannot overturn European Commission decisions, and the affected companies must still challenge those rulings through the European legal system.