Trump admin threatens retaliation against Spotify and others over EU tech regulation

US Sales Representative:

The European Union and some EU member states have persisted in a series of discriminatory and harassing lawsuits, taxes, fines, and directives against U.S. service providers. U.S. service companies provide important free services to EU citizens and reliable business services to EU businesses, and they support millions of jobs and more than $100 billion in direct investment in Europe. The United States has raised concerns with the EU on these issues for years, without meaningful engagement or fundamental acknowledgment of its concerns.

In contrast, EU service providers have been able to operate freely in the United States for decades, enjoying access to our market and a level playing field for consumers. Some of the largest service providers in the EU which have so far benefited from this expanded market access include, among others:

— Accenture
-Amadeus
-Capgemini
-DHL
-Mistral
— Publicis
-SAP
—Siemens
-Spotify

If the EU and its member states insist on continuing to restrict, limit, and deter the competitiveness of U.S. service providers through discriminatory means, the United States will have no choice but to begin using every tool at its disposal to counter these unreasonable measures. If response measures are necessary, U.S. law allows, among other things, the imposition of fees or restrictions on foreign services. The United States will take a similar approach to other countries pursuing a European-style strategy in this area.