Ursula von der Leyen says Brussels may target American “digital services” if tariff talks break down.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has cautioned that the EU is prepared to implement tariffs across the bloc on significant US tech firms like Meta and Google if negotiations with Washington falter in resolving the growing trade conflict.
Despite President Trump’s 90-day pause on further tariff increases, EU exports to the US will still be subject to a “baseline” 10% import duty, instead of the originally planned 20% under his new trade policy. However, the European Commission has stated that it will temporarily suspend its countermeasures while further discussions take place.
In an interview with the Financial Times on Thursday, von der Leyen indicated that Brussels is prepared to use its strongest trade tools, potentially focusing on American digital service providers and the advertising income of major Silicon Valley companies.