- Donald Trump has threatened to impose “substantial” tariffs upon the European Union after the bloc announced it would be fining Google $1 billion for breaches of online competition laws.
- It is the first major action against the tech giant under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), after the EU found that Google had favoured its own specifically in flight and hotel bookings and its Play Store rules, over those of rivals.
- The US president accused the EU of taking “direct aim at GREAT American companies” after previous fines issued against Apple, Meta and Amazon.
- Trump said that the EU would "pay a very big price" for this conduct and anticipated a significant tariff would be placed on them.
- This development follows the US president's broader announcement of plans to impose 10 to 12.5 percent tariffs on imports from 60 countries, including the UK, citing inadequate enforcement of bans on goods produced by forced labor.
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