华盛顿-唐纳德·特朗普总统周五威胁要对来自任何对美国公司数字服务征税的国家的进口商品征收100%的税。
在社交媒体上的一篇帖子中，特朗普瞄准了欧洲国家，他说这些国家正在讨论“即将”对美国公司征税。美国总统一再寻求利用关税作为阻止此类税收的方式，但随着许多国家的经济越来越多地在由美国公司主导的数字领域运作，许多国家都在寻求收入。
特朗普写道:“请让这一声明代表任何征收这种税的国家都将立即对发往美利坚合众国的任何和所有商品征收100%的关税。”
他补充说，新的税收将取代任何以前谈判达成的贸易协议。特朗普表示，这一惩罚将适用于任何推进这一税收的国家，但他在他的职位上特别提到了欧洲国家。
此举可能导致更大规模的摊牌，可能会提高价格，阻碍经济增长，如果欧盟27个成员国被迫报复，可能会引发更大规模的贸易战。
“针对这种合法政策的单方面措施是没有道理的。如果被追究，欧盟将迅速果断地做出回应，捍卫自己的权利和监管自主权，”欧盟委员会发言人奥洛夫·吉尔(Olof Gill)上周五表示。
他辩称，对科技公司征税是“非歧视性的”，并且平等地适用于“所有大公司，不管它们来自哪里。”
特朗普一再反对外国对美国科技巨头征税或监管的努力。去年，他威胁对任何采取行动的国家征收新的关税。去年8月的一篇帖子说，数字税收和监管“都是为了伤害或歧视美国技术。”
威胁出现在特朗普之前7月4日截止日期欧盟和美国开始实施一项关税协议，将大多数欧盟出口商品的关税限制在15%。
欧盟在5月份与美国敲定了一项贸易协议，将欧盟出口商品的大部分关税限制在15%。该协议是在欧盟内部辩论了几个月之后达成的，欧盟委员会主席乌尔苏拉·冯·德·莱恩去年在参观川普的高尔夫球场时试探性地达成了该协议。
数字税不是协议的一部分，它仍然是美国和欧洲集团之间的一个症结。
美国政府此前根据1974年贸易法第301条对数字服务税进行了关税调查。但尚不清楚特朗普将如何实施他的威胁，以及他是会广泛征收关税，还是最初针对某些国家。
英国不再是欧盟的一部分，自2020年以来，它对从英国用户那里“获取价值”的搜索引擎、社交媒体网站和在线市场的收入征收2%的数字服务税。
英国政府当时在一份政策文件中表示，针对数字业务的企业税收规则“导致了利润征税地和价值创造地之间的不一致。”
英国的税收包括起征点，因此主要是大型国际公司将支付它。文件称，该税旨在“确保范围内的大型跨国企业为支持重要的公共服务做出公平的贡献”。
Trump threatens 100% tax on European imports
WASHINGTON --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.
The move could lead to a larger showdown that could increase prices and hinder economic growth, possibly setting off a larger trade war if the 27-member European Union was compelled to retaliate.
“Unilateral measures targeting such legitimate policies are unjustified. If pursued, the EU will respond swiftly and decisively to defend its rights and regulatory autonomy,” said Olof Gill, a spokesperson for the European Commission on Friday.
He defended taxation on technology companies as “non-discriminatory” and applied equally to “all large companies, regardless of their origin.”
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.”
The threat comes ahead of Trump'sJuly 4 deadlinefor the European Union and the United States to start implementing a tariff deal that caps tariffs on most EU exports at 15%.
The European Union in May finalized a trade deal with the United States that caps most tariffs on EU exports at 15%. The deal followed months of debate within the EU after European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen tentatively struck the deal last year while visiting Trump’s golf course in Scotland.
Digital taxes were not part of the agreement and have remained a sticking point between the U.S. and the European bloc.
The U.S. government has previously conducted tariff investigations into digital services taxes under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. But it was unclear how Trump would carry out his threat and whether he would apply the tariffs broadly or initially target certain nations.
Britain, which is no longer part of the EU, has since 2020 levied a 2% digital services tax on revenues earned by search engines, social media sites and online marketplaces that “derive value” from U.K. users.
The British government said in a policy document at the time that corporate tax rules for digital businesses had “led to a misalignment between the place where profits are taxed and the place where value is created.”
The U.K. tax includes thresholds, so mainly large international companies will pay it. The tax was designed to “ensure the large multinational businesses in-scope make a fair contribution to supporting vital public services,” the document said.
