The United States threatens to retaliate against EU businesses in the United States

New York, December 16 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the United States Trade Representative stated on the 16th that if the European Union persists in "continuing to restrict, weaken, and impede" the competitiveness of American service providers, the United States "will have to start using all available means to counteract".

The Office of the United States Trade Representative stated on social media that the European Union and some EU member states continue to use "discriminatory and harassing" litigation, taxation, fines, and other measures to restrict US service providers. The office listed 9 European companies with extensive business presence in the United States, including Accenture, DHL, and Siemens, suggesting that they may become targets of countermeasures.

Since the beginning of this year, the European Union has launched a series of enforcement actions against American technology companies based on the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. The US accuses the EU of unfair regulatory measures against American technology companies and uses steel and aluminum tariffs as leverage to demand that the EU "loosen" its grip. The EU criticized the US move as "extortion" and insisted that digital regulations are related to sovereignty and cannot be challenged.

On the 5th of this month, the European Commission made its first "non-compliance decision" under the Digital Services Act, imposing a fine of 120 million euros on the social media platform X owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, sparking strong reactions from the US side. US President Trump said that if the EU continues to punish American technology companies, the US will impose tariffs on Europe and Canada.