Trump threatens EU tariffs over $1 billion Google fine

US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs against the European Union and an immediate trade investigation after the European Commission fined Google 890 million euros, or about $1 billion, under its digital competition rules.

Trump said in a Truth Social post that the EU would pay a very big price for conduct he described as illegal and unethical.

He said he would begin a Section 301 investigation into what he called the EU’s practice of robbing American companies and expected a substantial tariff on the bloc as soon as possible.

Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows Washington to investigate foreign practices it considers discriminatory and respond with tariffs.

The European Commission imposed the fine on Thursday for breaches of the Digital Markets Act, the EU law governing large online platforms. It was the first penalty imposed on Google under the law.

The Commission issued two separate decisions.

One imposed a 460-million-euro fine for favouring Google’s shopping, hotel, transport and sports services in search results.

The second imposed a 430-million-euro fine over restrictions preventing app developers from directing users to cheaper offers outside the Google Play store.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had already criticised the decision, saying the EU’s enforcement action undermined constructive dialogue and created a real risk to transatlantic trade stability.

Under the Digital Markets Act, the Commission can fine major technology gatekeepers up to 10 percent of their global annual turnover for breaches and up to 20 percent for repeat offences.

An EU official said the penalties imposed on Google were equal to 0.22 percent of the company’s turnover.

EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said Europe would not back down from enforcing its laws and remained committed to its rules.

EU officials have repeatedly said the bloc’s digital regulations are not aimed at American companies, a claim Washington has rejected.

Trump’s threat came one day after the White House announced tariffs of 10 percent to 12.5 percent on 60 trading partners, including the European Union.

Those duties took effect Friday following investigations conducted under the same Section 301 legal authority.

Trump has been trying to rebuild his tariff system and restore his ability to impose duties quickly after the US Supreme Court struck down many of his tariffs in February.

The tensions come as US technology companies have developed closer relations with the White House since Trump returned to office in January 2025. Several companies have lobbied the president directly over European regulation.

The dispute also tests a trade framework agreed between Washington and Brussels last year.

That agreement reduced US tariffs on European cars in exchange for EU concessions and was intended to prevent a trade war. It cleared its final legal hurdles in the European Union only recently.