Trump Launches Section 301 Investigation Over EU's $21.5B US Company Fines

On Friday, July 25, President Trump announced the start of a Section 301 investigation into European Union trade practices after the European Commission fined Google $1 billion under its Digital Markets Act. Trump said the U.S. would not allow Europe to treat America as a "piggybank," accusing the EU of targeting major American technology companies through repeated penalties.

The investigation follows cumulative EU fines totaling $21.5 billion against U.S. tech firms, including $15 billion against Apple, $3 billion against Meta, and $2.5 billion against Amazon. Trump threatened the EU would "pay a very big price" for what he called unfair treatment of American companies, warning that substantial tariffs could follow quickly.