December 17, 2025, 11:32 am | Read time: 3 minutes
The EU’s digital laws continue to cause tensions with the U.S. Washington has long accused Brussels of disadvantaging American companies with new regulations. Now, the U.S. government is taking a step further and openly threatening European corporations with countermeasures for the first time.
According to a report from “Heise,” the criticism is directed at the EU and “certain EU member states,” which the U.S. accuses of legal and financial harassment against U.S. firms. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the office of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer states that companies like DHL, SAP, Siemens, Spotify, Accenture, Amadeus, Capgemini, and Publicis have free access to the U.S. market and American consumers.
U.S. Threatens New Fees and Restrictions
At the same time, Greer makes it clear:
“If the EU and EU member states continue to insist on restricting, limiting, and hindering the competitiveness of U.S. service providers through discriminatory measures, the United States will have no choice but to use all available means to counter these unreasonable measures.”
New fees or restrictions for foreign service providers are mentioned. Other countries acting similarly to the EU should expect similar consequences.
A spokesperson for the European Commission points out to the Wall Street Journal that European rules apply equally to all companies, regardless of whether they are from the EU or third countries.
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Dispute Over DSA and DMA
The conflict mainly revolves around the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The U.S. government has long criticized that these regulations primarily affect large U.S. corporations. The strict enforcement and the possibility of very high fines also face resistance in Washington.
Until now, the U.S. has tried to exert pressure through trade dispute talks, such as offering lower tariffs on steel and aluminum if the EU softens its stance on DSA and DMA. With the current threats against specific European companies, the tone is now significantly harsher.
Also of interest: Apple introduces live translation in the EU, Google follows suit
Political Pressure on Brussels Increases
Just a few weeks ago, German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) advocated for easing EU digital regulations after a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. She specifically mentioned DSA and DMA.
The new statements from Washington further increase the pressure. The U.S. signals that it is willing to carry out the conflict at the expense of European companies if necessary.