Trump Orders Section 301 EU Probe Over Google's $1 Billion Fine, Threatening Tariffs
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Jul 24
Trump Orders Section 301 EU Probe Over Google's $1 Billion Fine, Threatening Tariffs
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 24
Summary
Section 301 will be used immediately to investigate the EU, Trump said, framing Brussels' latest Google penalty as an unfair burden on U.S. commerce and a trigger for substantial tariffs.
The threat followed the EU's 890 million-euro fine on Google, which the European Commission said stemmed from alleged noncompliance with the Digital Markets Act, not an unexplained attack on U.S. firms.
Trump said penalties on Google and earlier cases involving Apple, Meta and Amazon should be reversed, accusing the 27-member bloc of "robbing" American companies and taxpayers.
Hours earlier, the administration imposed new 10% to 12.5% duties on goods from more than 80 countries, including EU members, under another Section 301 action tied to alleged forced labor.
That broader tariff push is already facing legal resistance: two small businesses sued in the U.S. Court of International Trade, arguing Section 301 is being used to revive Trump's 2025 tariffs struck down earlier this year.