US to investigate EU trade practices over ‘unethical’ fines on Google, Apple, says Trump

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Washington will launch a formal investigation into the European Union's trade practices, alleging that the bloc has unfairly imposed billions of dollars in fines on Google, Apple and other American technology companies.

The announcement follows the European Union's decision a day earlier to fine Google 890 million euros (US$1 billion), accusing the company of violating digital antitrust rules by steering consumers towards its own services and applications at the expense of rivals.

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Trump's move also comes a day after the White House unveiled plans to impose double-digit tariffs on imports from more than 60 countries, arguing that they had failed to adequately enforce restrictions on goods produced through forced labour.

The latest tariffs replace the temporary 10 per cent global import duties that Trump introduced after a significant setback at the US Supreme Court. (AP)