Donald Trump has warned that he will impose tariffs and export restrictions on countries whose digital taxes and regulations are aimed at U.S. technology giants like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Apple.
Trump said on his social media platform that “digital taxes, legislation, rules, or regulations” unfairly discriminate against American tech companies while allowing Chinese firms a free pass. He specifically criticized the UK’s Digital Services Tax (DST), which raises around £800m annually through a 2% levy on tech revenues, as well as similar taxes in France, Italy, and Spain.
“If these discriminatory actions are not removed, I will impose substantial additional tariffs on that country’s exports to the USA, and institute export restrictions on our highly protected technology and chips,” Trump declared.
The threat adds pressure on the UK and the EU, both of which recently struck trade agreements with Washington. While the EU has adopted broader regulations through its Digital Services Act, officials have said they are not prepared to roll back their digital tax or regulatory frameworks.
Trump has repeatedly argued that these measures unfairly punish U.S. companies and has vowed to retaliate. He stated: “America, and American technology companies, are neither the piggy bank nor the doormat of the world any longer. Show respect to America or consider the consequences.”
