US President Donald Trump strongly condemned the European Union's decision to impose a $3.47 billion (2.95 billion euros) antitrust fine on Google for abuses in its advertising technology business, calling the penalty "very unfair" and harmful to American investments and jobs.

He warned that if the EU doesn't repeal the fine, his administration would launch a Section 301 investigation that could lead to retaliatory tariffs against the EU. This move signals potential escalation in trade tensions between the US and the EU, especially following a recently agreed but contentious trade framework.

Trump's criticism came just a day after he hosted a high-profile White House dinner with major tech executives, including Google's CEO Sundar Pichai and co-founder Sergey Brin. At the event, Trump congratulated Google on a favourable US court ruling that rejected demands for a breakup of Google’s Chrome browser. Pichai expressed relief that the long antitrust process was over and praised the administration's engagement on AI and technology investments.

The EU's $3.47 billion fine is part of a series of multibillion-dollar penalties against Google over the past decade, targeting Google’s dominance by favouring its own advertising services unfairly.

The EU competition chief stated the fine aimed to end Google's anti-competitive "self-preference practices," with Google given 60 days to propose remedies. Google vowed to appeal the fine, calling the actions unjustified and harmful to business in Europe.

Trump also cited previous large fines against American tech companies like Apple's 2016 back taxes ordered by Brussels, deeming these actions discriminatory and unacceptable. His administration's threat to impose tariffs underscores a protectionist stance aimed at defending American tech firms from foreign regulatory pressures perceived as unfair.

This episode reflects the tense intersection of antitrust regulation, international trade, and geopolitics between the US and the EU, with significant implications for global technology companies and the digital economy.

Based On Agence France-Presse Report