Trump Vows 301 Probe, Tariffs on EU Over Fines on U.S. Tech Giants

Trump orders a Section 301 investigation and threatens tariffs on the European Union after Google's latest fine pushes the bloc's penalties on American companies past $18 billion.

First Published: July 25, 2026, 3:51 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump vowed to open a trade investigation and impose tariffs on the European Union after the bloc fined Google another $1 billion, calling the penalty an attack on American companies.

The fresh fine pushes Google’s total European penalties past $18 billion and follows earlier fines of $15 billion on Apple, $3 billion on Meta and $2.5 billion on Amazon, Trump said. He pledged to reverse the penalties and place a tariff on the 27-nation bloc at the earliest possible moment.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “The European Union is at it again and, as usual, taking direct aim at GREAT American Companies! After having fined Apple, for no reason at all, 15 Billion Dollars, Meta, 3 Billion Dollars, Amazon 2.5 Billion Dollars, and many others, we have just been informed that Google, a truly advanced and amazing group, has been fined yet another 1 Billion Dollars, without explanation. This brings the Google total to over 18 Billion Dollars! This illegal and highly discriminatory practice started at these high levels during the first year of the Sleepy Joe Biden Administration, but it’s not going to continue during the Trump Administration. The United States of America is not a “PIGGYBANK” for Europe, nor will we allow it to be! Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that we will immediately initiate a 301 Investigation into the practice of “ROBBING” American Companies and, in turn, the American Taxpayer. The European Union will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about. The penalties will be entirely reversed and, we anticipate, a substantial TARIFF to be placed on them at the earliest possible moment. Stay tuned! Trump” on July 24, 2026 at 1:06 PM ET.

This is the first message released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces roughly 15 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 10 of his 452 posts over the last 30 days focused on tariffs.

The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993, according to europa.eu. The bloc has a population of about 452 million and functions as one of the world’s largest single markets, according to britannica.com.

A Section 301 investigation, named for a provision of the Trade Act of 1974, lets the U.S. Trade Representative examine foreign practices deemed unfair and recommend retaliation such as tariffs. The tool has served as the legal foundation for past trade actions against major trading partners. Trump framed the fines as discriminatory conduct that his administration would answer with reciprocal measures.

The stakes reach beyond the tech giants named in the post. U.S. consumers and businesses could face higher costs if tariffs raise prices on European goods. European exporters of cars, machinery, wine and pharmaceuticals stand to lose access to the American market. American technology firms would benefit from any reversal of the penalties, while EU regulators risk a widening trade dispute.

This has happened before. Trump’s first term featured repeated clashes with Brussels over digital taxes, aircraft subsidies and steel and aluminum tariffs, disputes that spilled into World Trade Organization cases and tit-for-tat duties. The current threat revives a fight that has simmered across administrations.

The next decision rests with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which would formally launch and scope any Section 301 investigation. A date for the opening of the probe or the imposition of tariffs has not been announced.

Trade friction between Washington and Brussels is not the first time these two parties have come to blows. In 2004, the United States and the European Union filed dueling complaints at the World Trade Organization over subsidies to Boeing and Airbus, a dispute that dragged on for more than 15 years, according to britannica.com. The WTO authorized the United States to impose tariffs on roughly $7.5 billion of European goods in 2019, and the European Union won clearance for its own countermeasures. Both economies emerged bruised before a truce in 2021.