Trump is on his way to laying up customs to counter digital tax on US businesses

President Donald Trump is expected to sign a memorandum that paves the way to impose customs duties in response to the tax on digital services imposed by some countries on US technology giants, according to persons familiar with the plan, in a new step within the war war aimed at addressing the imbalances in the world trade. The memo, which people who are familiar with the subject, focus on the condition that their identity is not disclosed until they are officially announced, about digital trading issues in general. According to the people, this step is directed by the office of the United States Commercial Representative to develop measures to respond to the tax imposed by foreign governments on US technology companies such as “Alphabet” and “Mita platforms”. The memo is not expected to impose customs duties immediately, nor does it specify a timetable for the implementation of these procedures, according to the people who are familiar with the matter. The White House did not immediately respond to a request to comment on this matter. Since his first presidency, tax against US businesses dealing with this step has been a concern for Trump. In 2019, the US Office for Trade Representatives conducted separate investigations into tax systems in France, Italy, Spain, India and other countries, and the United States at that time concluded that this tax was discriminatory and harmful to US businesses in an unequal way. Since then, some countries have dropped the plans to impose tax on digital services, and have instead joined global negotiations aimed at adopting a minimum tax on technology companies, but these discussions have often stumbled. The Computer and Communications Association Association refers to approximately 30 countries that have adopted or proposed tax on digital services over the past few years, including major commercial partners of the United States of America, such as the United Kingdom and Canada. The Canadian tax came into effect during 2024. Trump’s move comes before the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, as his country imposes digital taxes targeting major US technological companies, and his finance minister earlier this month emphasized that France retains it. Tense relations between America and Europe were one of the first countries to impose a tax on digital services. The two parties negotiated a ceasefire agreement that France was supposed to abandon this tax as soon as the world rules have implemented the tax of multinational digital enterprises. However, these negotiations never led to an agreement. The US response to digital tax threatens to aggravate the tensions that already exist in relations with France and other European countries, which clashes with Washington about Trump’s efforts to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Trump and his allies often criticized what they considered unfair commercial and tax practices of Europe, as well as attempts to address misleading or wrong information on social media, which he sees that he is targeting American technological enterprises. On a larger scale, Trump’s movements reflect how in its second presidential term to use customs duties as a tool to reform global trade relations and force businesses to transfer their production to the United States. Academic Customs Duties imposed by Trump are already a united 10% tax on Chinese imports, and also recommends the imposition of customs duties by 25% on the goods from Canada and Mexico before being suspended. He revealed plans to impose 25% fees on US steel and aluminum imports, and ordered his administration to present a tour of the customs graphics at each commercial partner. He also said that new fees will soon be imposed on cars, semi -events and imported medicines. In his second term, the heads of the Great Silicon Valley businesses tried to get closer to the new US president, where he visited some of the most prominent CEOs in the technological sector, his resort, Mar a Lago, during the presidential transition period and last month. While Trump has promised to target external commercial policies that he sees that these businesses are damaging, many of its decisions, such as setting up new customs duties, can lead to pressure on technology companies dependent on global supply chains.