Trump announces Section 301 investigation into the EU

A Section 301 investigation can lead to additional tariffs on EU goods and for the first time explicitly links European digital-market regulation (the DMA) to US trade policy — carrying escalation risk for transatlantic trade as a whole.

On Friday 24 July 2026, US President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he would 'immediately' launch an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into the European Union, saying he expected a 'substantial' tariff on the 27 member states 'at the earliest possible moment'. The trigger was the European Commission's DMA fine of €890m (around US$1bn) imposed on Google on 23 July, which Trump described as the EU 'robbing' American companies; he also cited earlier fines against Apple, Meta and Amazon and said the penalties would be 'entirely reversed'. No specific tariff rates, product categories or deadlines were named. Hours earlier the US administration had used the same Section 301 authority to impose duties of between 10% and 12.5% on goods from more than 80 countries — including EU states — over alleged forced labour in supply chains; a legal challenge to those tariffs was filed at the US Court of International Trade the same day. Second source: Spectrum News/AP, 24 July 2026.