Brussels is responding to the recent trade threats from President Donald Trump. He announced import tariffs on a wide range of European products, ranging from steel to agricultural goods. Shortly after, he gave the EU ninety days to reach an agreement with the US.
Von der Leyen said in a Q&A with the British financial newspaper Financial Times that the EU takes this period seriously and is open to negotiations with Washington. At the same time, she emphasized that access to the European market applies to more than just physical goods. Digital services, such as social networks and search engines, are included according to her.
Von der Leyen's statements mark a new turn in the trade debate. Until now, the European Commission had been cautious in its responses, but the tough rhetoric from Washington seems to compel Brussels to act. American media reported earlier this week that Trump is willing to even cancel existing trade agreements if rapid concessions are not made.
Notably, Trump is also facing growing resistance at home. Both Democratic and Republican congress members have expressed concerns about his trade policies. They fear that a new tariff war will harm American jobs and consumer prices. Some major American companies have also voiced opposition to Trump's approach.
Brussels has long expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of American tech giants. Companies like Meta, Google, and X are said not to comply with new European legislation such as the Digital Services Act (DSA). These rules are designed to better protect users from disinformation, hate speech, and abuse on online platforms.
The European Union has already imposed hefty fines on tech companies that violated the DSA. For example, Meta was earlier fined millions of euros in sanctions. Brussels is currently working on additional guidelines to clarify what is and is not allowed on the European internet. Transparency about algorithms and advertisements also plays a role here.
President Trump has given the major tech companies free rein and abolished any form of oversight. They consider the European behavioral rules and the related supervision and after-the-fact control as a form of censorship.
According to insiders, the Commission does not exclude that the admission of American platforms such as X, Facebook, or Instagram to the European market in the future could be linked to compliance with such digital rules. If Washington persists with unilateral import tariffs, Brussels may respond with countermeasures concerning digital access.