President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 100% tax on imports from any country that imposes a tax on digital services from United States companies.In a post on social media, Trump took aim at European countries that he said are discussing “imminent” implementation of taxes on American companies.
The U.S. president has repeatedly sought to use tariffs as way to deter such taxes, but many countries are looking for revenues as their economies increasingly operate in digital realms that are dominated by American companies.
“Please let this statement serve to represent that any Country that imposes such a Tax will immediately be met with a 100% TARIFF on any and all Goods sent to the United States of America,” Trump wrote.
He added that the new tax would supersede any previously negotiated trade deals.
Trump said the penalty would apply to any country that moves forward with such a tax, but he singled out European nations in his post.
Trump has repeatedly pushed against foreign efforts to tax or regulate American tech giants. Last year he threatened new tariffs on any country that moved to do so. A post from last August said that digital taxes and regulation “are all designed to harm, or discriminate against, American Technology.”
