Comment on the customs war: The EU must aim at the US tech companies

When it comes to tariffs, Donald Trump does not torch for long – he reaches for the flame thrower. And behaves like an 80s action hero on a revenge camp that wants to see the world trade system. China replied Stante Pede with hard countermeasures on Trump’s daredevil. And the EU, well, what does it actually do? Does the peppered answer still hang in the fax?

On Monday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also made the offer of a free trade zone on industrial goods-and collected the expected Watsche Trumps. Now reports are circulating about a list of numerous goods that the EU wants to raise tariffs, partly from May, partly from December-the EU countries should vote on this on Wednesday. The list includes Harley-Davidson motorcycles, boats, beef, soybeans, chewing gum, dental floss and peanut butter. They have been selected because they are made in states that the Republicans choose, or because it is iconic American products.

Commercial light weight? We also have

Could we instead of slippery symbols on cowboy hats and cheese from the spray can please aim where it really hurts? Of course I mean the US tech companies. Measured by the mucus lane, which their CEOs have granted to Donald I allergies of the most important magnification, they can also be one of the supporters of the Republicans.

A massive retail weight, this time to the disadvantage of the EU, is also not needed long. Operating systems, office software, cloud services, AI, social media, streaming, online trading and advertising-the German and the European digital room is finally dominated by US providers. Alphabet, Microsoft, Apple, Meta and Amazon alone made around $ 400 billion profit in 2024, which is almost once the German special fund for infrastructure. In any case, a threatened step into these crown jewels is likely to sit.

Once the full package please

Last week still quoted Report a spokeswoman for the French governmentThat the EU also wanted to put up with services on its retaliation measures – and that also means: digital services. This is exactly what it takes now: a large package against big tech with tariffs, special taxes, restrictions in the procurement system and all the bureaucratic thumb screws and nipple clamps that can only be used to expose the Evil Masterminds of the EU. An introductory deadline grinding around and with best regards of an economic area of ​​almost 500 million people from the White House.

That would be a sign of strength, which is apparently the only one that Trump respects. And it would create the necessary negotiating mass. If you get so hard, you can easily be negotiated for an appropriate result. The dealmaker in the White House could even be celebrated by his Maga Crowd afterwards, which he got out of great things.