DIGITAL regulations or taxes affecting the profits of US tech giants like Google, Apple and Meta will land countries introducing them with steep US tariffs and export restrictions, US President Donald Trump says.

Mr Trump said he would “stand up to countries that attack our incredible American tech companies. Digital taxes, digital services legislation and digital markets regulations are all designed to harm or discriminate against American technology.”

The threats are thought to be primarily aimed at the European Union, whose Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act try to prevent monopoly control of internet services and regulate social media.

Canada has already dropped a proposed digital services levy under US pressure. Currently Britain, France, Italy and Spain all operate digital services taxes, targeting the enormous profits of the online sector.

Mr Trump said the US would block exports of technology and computer chips to countries which imposed restrictions on tech giants. He also claimed Chinese companies got “a complete pass” from such taxes, which “must end.”

Mr Trump’s administration has feted “tech bro” tycoons who own some of the world’s biggest companies, including Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, though he has prominently fallen out with Tesla and X magnate Elon Musk. Demolishing restrictions on corporate profiteering is a major part of its political agenda.

EU Commission spokesperson Paulo Pinho said: “It is the sovereign rights of the EU and its member states to regulate economic activities on our territory, which are consistent with our democratic values.”