Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – The EU has “everything on the table” as a response to President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs — including possibly targeting US Big Tech and taxing more American goods — should talks with Washington fail. The European Commission, in charge of the EU’s trade policy, refuses to give any details on what its comeback to Trump’s 20 percent tariffs starting April 9 could include. But France, Germany, and Austria have suggested targeting the biggest digital companies, including Google and Facebook owner Meta. So far, the commission has stressed that negotiations will be its priority.
After talks with US counterparts on Friday, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said the EU was “committed to meaningful negotiations, but also prepared to defend our interests.” These are the options the 27-country European Union has if further talks are unsuccessful:
– **Tariffs** – When Trump hit steel and aluminium imports with a 25 percent tariff in March, the EU decided on “an eye for an eye” approach. With his extra levies affecting $28 billion of the EU’s exports, Brussels opted to target US goods worth the same amount from mid-April, including Harley Davidson motorbikes and agricultural products like soybeans and meat. Now the EU faces new tariffs of 20 percent announced by Trump this week, which has kickstarted another conversation inside the bloc about further retaliatory action. “We will react in areas where it hurts the United States,” a senior EU official said. Officials have previously said the EU will target goods from politically important US states, including soybeans produced in Louisiana, the home of US Speaker Mike Johnson, who pushes Trump’s agenda in Congress. “We love soybeans, but we can get them from Brazil,” the EU official said. “We like Harley-Davidsons, but we also like MotoGuzzi. Or we can buy Yamaha. So, there are alternatives there and we are not hurting ourselves.”
– **Tech taxes?** – Although the commission has been coy about whether it has US Big Tech in its sights, France straight off the bat said the EU’s targets could include American tech titans. French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas said the EU could go after online services, “which are not taxed today but could be.” Economy Minister Robert Habeck echoed Primas, insisting “everything is on the table.” While Trump has trade in goods in his sights, the United States runs a surplus in services to the EU. In 2023, that surplus totalled 109 billion euros ($120 billion). US companies dominate in financial services, including banks and card payment systems such as Mastercard, and tech such as Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. “If they’re going to go after our goods surplus, then we’ll look at the services surplus,” an EU official said. Financial services could also be targeted, not just big tech, the official said. “We’re currently discussing it, and in such cases, the response must be made public as soon as it’s decided,” French Finance Minister Eric Lombard said on Friday. “It’s a signal to our American friends. But we’re working on a package of responses that could go well beyond tariffs,” he told France’s BFMTV/RMC broadcaster.
– **Trade tools** – One EU official refused to say what weapons Brussels would deploy against the United States, but said the bloc was weighing whether to use an anti-coercion instrument. First adopted in 2023, but never used, the weapon punishes any country using economic threats to exert pressure on the EU. Initially created to counter any trade pressure from China, it could help the EU with the United States. With this tool, the commission can act without the support of all EU states. It would allow the EU to limit US companies’ access to public procurement contracts in Europe, which France’s Primas has already raised as a stick against Trump. Officials believe targeting US firms with EU rules and taxation would not risk higher prices for the continent’s consumers. “We are prepared to implement firm, impactful but proportionate countermeasures,” Sefcovic said on Thursday. The EU has so far maintained a unified stance against Trump’s tariffs. “Europe has everything it needs to make it through this storm. We are in this together,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said.
© 2024 AFP
