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President Donald Trump announced Common tariffs On Wednesday, Stock Exchange Dive Sending. One of the more important tariffs is a 20% tax for the goods from the US allies and trade partner for a long time.
EU chief Ursula von der Lenin said at a press conference on Thursday that the block has ended the package of retaliation tariffs up to 28.4 billion dollars of US goods. 25% tariffs in steel and aluminum This came into force last month.
While the EU prioritizes negotiations, Von Der Luyen said that the commission is now prepared: “Other counter measures“If the debate failed. The block has been rejected by the Trump administration so far.
The first counter -measure set will be announced on April 14, Bernd Lange, President of the EU Parliamentary Commercial Committee, told the German publisher Deutsche Welle The second set is likely to arrive in a month on Thursday.
These counter measures It can target big technology companiesAccording to European government officials.
French government spokesman Sophie Primas said that the EU’s response will “attack online services ,, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that everything is on the table when it comes to counter -measures:“ Great technology companies have an incredible dominance in Europe and are largely exempt from European taxes ”.
It can be zero in European antitröst probes
The relations between the EU and the United States have been growing, especially since Trump was elected in November. Including Trump and other management officials FTC President Andrew FergusonDue to the antitröst pressure in Europe’s major American technology companies,Overseas extinction and unfair fines and penalties. “
Apple (AAPL-9.37%)Alphabet (Googl-3.48%)Amazon (Amzn-8.20%)Meta (META-7.50 %)and Microsoft (MSFT-1.75 %) It was among the big technology names classified as “Gatekeepers” within the scope of 2022 Digital Markets LawA turning point aimed at addressing anti -competitive practices in the technology industry is the European Antitröst Law.
All Great seven technology stock Today in the tariffs news. Damla leader Apple.
Google and Apple last month violated And pre -findings and requests for action were sent, respectively. If companies do not comply with orders, they face potential fines, including alphabet fine of up to 10% of their worldwide income. In 2024, Alphabet’s worldwide income reached approximately $ 350 billion.
The European Commission is expected to give Apple and Meta the first fines under DMA. Politico reported At the beginning of this week. According to Politico, the wider trade environment perceived the EU’s decision on the issue, although the law was technically audited by the European Commission’s competition and digital directorates.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other company executives want Trump and trade officials to stop the expected fines and stop and reduce the desist order. Wall Street Journal Report Monday. Meta is concerned that according to WSJ, which can reduce its income in the region, it may ask for the EU to sell less personalized advertising on IT platforms.
Eleanor Fox, a legal scientist and Professor of Trade Organization, is likely to fight against American companies. It is not likely to withdraw the application of antitröstini and DMA against American companies. However, Trump’s bullying of Europe should not be able to perform and see Europe, ”he said.
Brookings’s senior friend Dan Hamilton showed Europe that they are eğerir They are willing to step back ”and ılar reinterpreting the penalties that may be involved. However, if this became a “complete trade war ,, the block would not hesitate to give great fines to companies that could go beyond the antitröst probes.
Europe’s real “bazoka”
A greater threat to the Silicon Valley in the EU’s arsenal “Anti -Commacion Instrument”It is often referred to as“ bazuka. Trump, which was created in the first period of Trump, but so far used against China, allows the EU to impose trade restrictions on trade, intellectual property rights and direct foreign investments.
The law is often used as a deterrent, but it can be used against US technology giants providing digital services such as Apple, Google and Meta.
However, even in this case, Hamilton says that the EU’s conduct an investigation and a qualified majority of the agreement on putting the Pain into force can take “months and months ..
An attack on the service economy will devote great time to US companies.
Ham Hamilton said, in the world where they earn their money, the world’s most profitable place for US companies, ”said Europeans before adding that the service economies of Europe and the United States are so deeply intertwined.
Tariffs can be the least of the concerns of big technology
Hamilton says that the real problem for Big Tech is not even retaliation tariffs, but the potential court gives orders to data confidentiality.
The US data privacy frameworks have been invalid by the EU courts, as they were not considered special enough for European data in the past. To address this, former President Joe Biden signed a data confidentiality framework that gives significant importance to an surveillance board that will adapt to the EU data protection standards. In January, Trump fired three Democrats to the two -party surveillance committee and mixed them anxiety In the European Parliament.
If it is deemed inadequate, EU courts have the power to close the data flows in Atlantic.
Hamilton said such a court decision would have more “more serious” effects than a fine.
