In a bold rebuke, the White House has blasted the European Union’s recent crackdown on U.S. tech giants, accusing Brussels of launching what it called a “novel form of economic extortion.” The EU’s move to fine Apple €500 million and Meta €200 million under its new Digital Markets Act (DMA) has struck a nerve in Washington.
“This isn’t just overreach—it’s a direct swipe at American innovation,” a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday. “These extraterritorial regulations don’t just unfairly target U.S. companies—they choke off competition, muzzle speech, and threaten the very core of a free-market society.”
The fines, handed down on April 23, stemmed from a year-long investigation into alleged violations of the DMA—a sweeping antitrust framework aimed at reining in Big Tech’s dominance and giving smaller players room to breathe. But in the eyes of President Donald Trump’s administration, the enforcement reeks of bias.
Labeling the EU’s digital law “discriminatory,” the administration hinted that retaliatory tariffs might be in the cards if American firms continue to be singled out.
Meanwhile, trade friction isn’t just flaring across the Atlantic. Over in the Asia-Pacific theater, the U.S. is also feeling out Beijing. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sounded the alarm on sky-high U.S.-China tariffs—145% on Chinese imports and 125% on American goods—calling them economically unsustainable.
“We’re teetering on the edge of a full-blown embargo,” Bessent told reporters. “Neither side wants this standoff to drag on.”
Behind closed doors, sources say the White House is open to slashing tariffs—possibly by as much as half—but only if China plays ball. “We’re not going it alone,” one insider noted. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the administration could drop rates to 50% if negotiations make headway.
President Trump echoed a more measured tone, saying, “We want a fair deal with China,” though he stopped short of laying out a timeline or details.
On another front, Trump threw cold water on Canada’s auto industry, warning that the current 25% tariff on Canadian cars might climb even higher. “All we’re saying is, we don’t want their cars—we want to build our own,” he remarked from the Oval Office.
With spats flaring on multiple trade fronts, the White House appears ready to defend U.S. economic interests tooth and nail—whether that means fighting fines from Brussels or reworking billion-dollar tariff deals with global heavyweights.
