President Donald Trump has started a fresh trade fight with the European Union after the bloc hit Google with a $3.5 billion fine for breaking antitrust rules. The EU said Google unfairly favored its own online advertising services over competitors. The fine is the fourth time Brussels has punished Google with a huge penalty in an antitrust case since 2017.
The European Commission found that Google abused its top position in the advertising technology market. EU officials said the company gave itself unfair advantages when selling ad space on websites. Google controls about 90% of the publisher ad server market through its DoubleClick platform. The company also has between 40% and 80% market share in ad networks where advertisers buy ad space.
According to the Express, Trump responded angrily on his Truth Social platform. He wrote that Google has been hit with discriminatory fines, and “They should get their money back!” The president said he would not let this happen to American companies. He added that if the EU continues these actions, he will start a Section 301 proceeding to remove the unfair penalties.
Trump considers using Section 301 trade tool against EU
Section 301 comes from the US Trade Act of 1974. It lets the president investigate and punish foreign countries for unfair trade practices. Trump used this same tool against China in 2018, which started the big US-China trade war. If Trump goes ahead with Section 301 against the EU, it could lead to new tariffs on European goods coming into America.
The timing of Trump’s threat is important because the US and EU signed a trade deal in July. Under that agreement, most EU imports to America face 15% tariffs. The EU also promised to buy $750 billion worth of US energy products like oil, gas, and semiconductors through 2028. Trump’s administration has been known for its complex relationship with various policies, and this new trade threat could damage that recent progress.
The EU has not backed down from its position. Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said Google might need to sell parts of its advertising business to fix the competition problems. She noted that past fines have not stopped Google from continuing similar practices. Google has 60 days to propose how it will address the EU’s concerns about conflicts of interest in its ad business.
This trade dispute comes just one day after Trump hosted top tech leaders at a White House dinner. At that event, Trump praised Google co-founder Sergey Brin and even complimented Brin’s girlfriend. The president’s defense of Google shows how his relationship with Big Tech companies has changed since his first term, when he often criticized them. Now Trump appears willing to protect American tech giants from what he sees as unfair treatment by foreign regulators.
Published: Sep 8, 2025 12:03 pm