© Sipa USA/Al Drago/Pool
(Washington, DC) – President Trump wants to do away with the DST or Digital Service Tax — saying the process unfairly discriminates against US tech companies. In keeping with his push for truly fair trade, Trump has threatened to hit countries with tariffs — if they continue to charge DSTs against firms such as Apple, Meta Platforms, and Amazon.
Trump says DSTs are set up to benefit some nation’s tech industries — China in particular — and says unless they are removed, American innovation will be stunted.
In response, if the DSTs are not dropped, Trump says he will impose 25% tariffs on goods such as French cosmetics, and British clothing. The president also says he may look to restrict or block chip sales to countries that charge the digital taxes.
As for the taxes themselves, and the countries levying them, the argument is companies like Amazon otherwise don’t pay fees for being involved in foreign economies. Trump’s position on DSTs has remained consistent — he broke off trade talks with Canada after our neighbor to the north planned to impose them.
Trump won’t back off the fight — despite arguments from some economists who maintain it will disrupt the global supply chain — especially for semiconductors. It’s part of the White House’s unwavering commitment to American businesses.
