President Donald Trump revealed a trade investigation targeting the EU, accusing the union of unfairly focusing on American tech giants, just a day following Google’s €890 million antitrust penalty.
The United States is set to initiate a formal probe into the trade policies of the European Union, US President Donald Trump announced on Friday, charging the bloc with unjustly levying multibillion-dollar fines on companies such as Google, Apple, and other US technology firms.
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“The United States of America will not serve as a ‘PIGGYBANK’ for Europe, nor will such exploitation be permitted!” Trump declared in a statement, which he framed as an official notification of an immediate trade inquiry “into the practice of ‘ROBBING’ American Corporations and, by extension, the American Taxpayer.”
“The European Union will face significant consequences for this unlawful and deeply unethical behavior, which I have repeatedly cautioned them about,” he added.
“Stay tuned!” he concluded.
On Friday, the European Commission stated its intention to engage with the US to reduce tensions following the EU’s imposition of a fine on Google Thursday over its dominance in the EU’s digital market, prompting a strong response from Washington.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer noted that the EU’s fine endangered ongoing discussions between both sides of the Atlantic concerning digital regulations and the trade agreement finalized last year after intense negotiations.
The Trump administration has consistently criticized the EU’s digital legislation, accusing Brussels of employing non-tariff barriers against American firms and disproportionately targeting Big Tech from the US.
Nevertheless, the Commission’s leading spokesperson, Paula Pinho, expressed on Friday that the US remains open to dialogue.
“There is a call for dialogue which we fully support,” she remarked, emphasizing that Brussels aims to engage while safeguarding the EU’s regulatory “autonomy.”
‘The EU undermines dialogue’
Earlier this week, 25 US legislators addressed a letter to President Donald Trump urging a US inquiry into EU trade practices ahead of the expected Google fine.
The penalty was officially imposed on Thursday, resulting in a €890 million charge against the tech giant under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, a regulation that Washington has persistently criticized throughout the past year, alongside the Digital Services Act – an EU law targeting illegal content on substantial online platforms.
“We are endeavoring to resolve our concerns about the EU’s Digital Markets Act and other policies through responsible, constructive dialogue,” Greer stated after the fine was announced. “The EU’s recent measures compromise these efforts and pose a genuine threat to the continuation of transatlantic stability regarding trade,” he added.
German Socialist MEP Bernd Lange, head of the European Parliament’s trade committee, told Euronews that he feared further strain in transatlantic relations and anticipated more measures from the US.
The EU lawmaker played a leading role in negotiating the EU-US agreement reached in July 2025 by Trump and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following weeks of trade disputes. Yet, despite this accord, EU officials still view transatlantic relations as unstable.
On Thursday, the White House declared a new tariff framework targeting trading partners including the EU over forced labor concerns. While emphasizing the existence of stringent rules against products stemming from forced labor, Brussels opted not to retaliate, arguing that the tariffs comply with the 15 percent cap on EU goods established by the trade agreement.