Paris, France – March 27: European Commission President Ursula von der Leaves after the Summit for 'Coalition of the Willing' At the Elysee Palace, France on March 27, 2025. Mustafa Yalcin / Anadolu, Image: 980237451, Licenses: Rights -Menaged, Restrictions: No. Credit Line: Mustafa Yalcin / AFP / Profimedia
Brussels could tax the American technology giants if negotiations fail to end the commercial war launched by Donald Trump, the President of the European Commission said, Ursula von Der Leyen, in an interview for the Financial Times on Thursday, writes AFP.
Since the US president has imposed customs and aluminum customs duties, cars and, finally, at most imports from the European Union, Brussels has insisted on finding a mutual agreement with Washington.
But Ursula von der Leyen was declared prepared to intensify his threats with reprisals and to target American services if negotiations fail.
“There is a wide range of countermeasures,” she said. “For example, we could impose a fee on advertising revenues in digital services,” the chairman said.
It mentioned the use of the 'anti-coercion instrument', a weapon-nicknamed 'Bazooka'-designed as a means of discouragement to be activated after the exhaustion of diplomatic paths. This tool would, in particular, allow freezing access to European public markets or blocking certain investments.
The American administration has complained about the non -ardor barriers, which he says unfairly prevent the United States's exports to the old continent. Washington has in particular criticized the value added tax (VAT) and the strict technological rules of the EU that govern the technological competition and the moderation of the online content.
But for Ursula von der Leyen, the laws on technologies are 'untouchable'. The chairman of the commission also refuses any negotiations on VAT, which is applied to national and imported products.
Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday that the EU will suspend the application of additional customs duties for some American products' to give negotiations a chance, after Donald Trump gave up the new massive customs taxes on Wednesday.
The US president suspended for 90 days the 20% surcharge for European products. But it has maintained its 25% customs duties for steel, aluminum and cars, as well as the 10% basic tax for all other products, during the suspension.
'Customs rates are taxes that only harm companies and consumers. Therefore, I have always pleaded in favor of a zero tariff agreement between the European Union and the US, 'said Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday. (News.ro)
