Trump threatens tariffs on governments that impose digital rates on US companies.

The president of the USA, Donald Trumpsigned on Friday an executive order that threatens to impose tariffs on foreign governments that apply digital rates to US companies, including Spain, the United Kingdom and France.

The order indicates that “Foreign governments have exercised increasing extraterritorial authority over US companies, particularly in the technology sector”and directly quotes taxes on digital services that apply “several commercial partners” since 2019.

The American president delegates to the US commercial representative the possibility of “renewing research” on the so -called technological rates of Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria and Türkiyewhich emphasizes that they were imposed in their first mandate, and if so, “take all appropriate actions.”

Threat to restrict access to US technology to countries like Cuba and Venezuela

On the other hand, Trump also signed an executive order to restrict access to American technology, especially in the field of artificial intelligence, what he calls “foreign adversaries.”

It is worth mentioning that the executive order does not specify in detail what measures will be taken to restrict the access of these “foreign adversaries” to American technology.

The order identifies China, Hong Kong, Macao, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and the “regime of the Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro”, under the label “Foreign adversaries”.

Trump justifies his decision with the argument that “economic security is national security” and argues that the country must protect its infrastructure and sensitive technologies, from artificial intelligence to semiconductors and advances in biotechnology.

The executive order focuses especially on China, noting that companies linked to Beijing have used investments in the US to access key technologies and that the Chinese government is taking advantage of US technology to modernize its military apparatus.

From his return to the White House on January 20, Trump has announced several restrictions on trade in order to balance the trade balance and press countries such as Mexico and Canada to make concessions in immigration and efforts against drug trafficking.

China has imposed a 10 %tariff, which adds to the rates already applied during its first term (2017-2021).

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