Washington, 25 July 2026 (dpa/MIA) - US President Donald Trump has threatened "a substantial tariff" on imports from the European Union after the bloc imposed a massive fine on Google.

"The European Union will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about. The penalties will be entirely reversed and, we anticipate, a substantial TARIFF to be placed on them at the earliest possible moment. Stay tuned!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday. 

He also said an investigation would first be launched to examine what he called "the practice of 'ROBBING' American Companies and, in turn, the American Taxpayer."

Trump is likely basing his threat on Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974. This gives the government the power to act - including by imposing tariffs - in cases of demonstrably "unjustifiable ... unreasonable or discriminatory" trade practices. A prerequisite is that investigations are carried out, comments gathered and hearings held beforehand.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had also imposed new tariffs on around 60 trading partners on Thursday evening, partly on the basis of Section 301, over allegedly insufficient measures against forced labour.

On Thursday, the European Commission fined the US company €890 million ($1 billion) for unfair business practices. Google had violated competition rules through its search engine and the Google Play app marketplace, and had unlawfully disadvantaged its competitors, the commission said.

Photo: EPA