Trump threatens Europe with a 100 percent import tariff

©picture alliance / Consolidated News Photos | Aaron Schwartz - Pool via CNP

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100 percent import tariff on goods from countries that introduce a digital tax on U.S. technology companies. With the warning, he is primarily targeting European countries that, according to him, are on the verge of implementing such taxes.

In a social media post, Trump wrote that any government that introduces a digital services tax will “immediately” face a 100 percent tariff on all goods shipped to the United States. He also said that such a measure would take precedence over existing trade agreements, even if they have already been negotiated or signed.

The threat could reignite tensions between Washington and Brussels, just as the European Union and the U.S. are trying to implement a trade deal that caps most EU export tariffs at 15 percent. The digital tax was not part of the agreement and remains one of the major points of contention between the two economic blocs.

Europe in Trump’s crosshairs

The European Commission rejected the U.S. warning. Spokesperson Olof Gill called unilateral measures against such rules “unjust” and said the EU would respond swiftly and resolutely to defend its rights and regulatory autonomy.

Trump has long opposed digital taxes and regulations targeting major U.S. tech companies. Last year, he also threatened to impose new tariffs on countries that implement such measures, arguing that they disadvantage U.S. technology companies.

In the United Kingdom, a 2 percent digital services tax on revenue generated by large online platforms and search engines that derive value from British users has been in effect since 2020. The U.S. threat comes at a sensitive time, just before the deadline for implementing the recent trade agreement between the U.S. and the EU.

©picture alliance / Consolidated News Photos | Aaron Schwartz - Pool via CNP