27/06/2026 13:56 - Internacionales
US President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday, June 27, 2026, an unprecedented trade threat: any European country that imposes a digital services tax on American companies will automatically face a 100% tariff on all exports to the United States.
According to Trump, "numerous European countries" are discussing implementing such levies on US companies, and some "are close to doing so." The measure would replace any pre-existing trade agreement with the affected country.
"They think they are going to make easy money, that's why everyone has taken advantage of our country," Trump stated, echoing his long-standing complaint that American tech giants have been unfairly targeted abroad.
The Digital Services Tax (DST) is a levy that several countries apply to revenues that large technology companies earn from certain digital services within their jurisdiction. This tax aims to ensure that companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook pay taxes in the countries where they generate profits, regardless of where their tax headquarters are located.
The concept emerged because traditional international tax rules were designed for the brick-and-mortar economy, allowing digital giants to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions. The DST attempts to address this imbalance by taxing revenues at source.
In the UK alone, this tax raised more than £800 million in the 2024-2025 period, according to British Treasury data. For context, this amount represents roughly the annual budget of a mid-sized European municipality.
European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill responded that the EU reserves the right to defend itself against these measures, maintaining a firm but diplomatic stance.
"Unilateral measures targeting legitimate policies are not justified. If implemented, the EU will respond quickly and decisively to defend its rights and regulatory autonomy."
Gill emphasized that digital services taxes do not target companies from any particular country and apply to "all large companies, regardless of their origin." This distinction is crucial: the EU insists these are not discriminatory measures but rather domestic tax policies applied fairly to all qualifying companies.
If Trump follows through:
For perspective, US-EU trade in goods exceeded €800 billion annually in recent years.
| May 2026 | EU signs agreement with US (tariffs capped at 15%) |
| April 2026 | Trump threatens UK with "big tariff" |
| Jun 27, 2026 | Trump threatens 100% tariff on Europe |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Deadline for tariff agreement implementation |
Trump's threat primarily targets European countries that have already implemented or are discussing implementing a digital services tax:
Source: European Commission statements and public trade policy announcements from June 2026.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
