Trump’s Feb. 21 memorandum on “defending American companies and innovators from overseas extortion and unfair fines” said the administration will consider tariffs in response to European laws and policies that hurt American companies’ growth.
Regnier said officials were concerned about the “broad interpretations reflected in the Memorandum and the unilateral actions they may trigger, as well as their potential impact on EU-US trade and investment.”
The U.S. document appears to target the EU’s digital rulebook, primarily the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, which regulate competition and social media. Several U.S. Big Tech companies are facing investigations under the laws, including Elon Musk’s X, Meta, Google and Apple.
The Commission said that the two regulations “apply equally to all large digital actors operating in the EU single market,” irrespective of their home base and that Europe is still committed to open markets and cooperation with the U.S.