Washington threatens to respond to “irrational” European rules in the field of technology

The United States threatened to take countermeasures against the European Union, in response to the bloc’s efforts to impose taxes on American companies, pointing to major European companies as potential targets, but the European Union was quick to pledge to continue imposing its rules related to technology “without discrimination.”

In a post on social media, the Office of the US Trade Representative criticized the European Union and a number of its member states, against the backdrop of their “continued path of filing lawsuits based on discrimination, harassment, taxes, fines, and directives” against American service providers.

He warned that if the bloc and its member countries continue the steps that he considers to be aimed at deterring the competitiveness of American companies, Washington will have no choice “but to start using every tool available to fight these illogical measures.” The publication also indicated that major European companies may be targeted in response to the move, giving examples including Accenture, DHL, Mistral, Siemens, Spotify, and others. The office said: “If it is proven necessary to take measures to respond, American law allows for the assessment of fees and restrictions on foreign services, in addition to other measures.”

But European Commission spokesman Thomas Rainier responded by saying: “As we have made clear many times, our rules apply equally and fairly to all companies operating in the European Union.”