The United States is actively imposing import tariffs, particularly on European countries. The U.S. is imposing a 20% import tariff on European products, which naturally has a significant impact on our trade with the United States. This is being felt in nearly all sectors, including the IT and telecommunications sectors. The EU is currently considering potential countermeasures, particularly against American IT services and technology companies. But what exactly is the impact of the trade war with the U.S. on our IT and telecommunications sector? We’ll explore that in this article!
Start of the trade war with the U.S.
On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a series of global tariffs, including 20% import duties on European products. This move could, of course, pose a major threat to the global economy, so the EU is not pleased with it. Millions of people will feel the impact of this, especially since it will cause products to become more expensive, both in the United States itself and around the world. The EU is considering countermeasures against this action, which will be aimed primarily at American technology companies and the IT sector.
Meta and Apple were fined by the EU
In late April, the EU imposed hefty fines on the American tech giants Meta and Apple for violating European law. Apple must pay 500 million euros because it overly promotes its own App Store, causing users to sometimes miss out on cheaper subscriptions. Meta must pay 200 million because it forced users to choose between a paid version of its apps or a free version in exchange for the use of their personal data. Trump was not pleased with the EU’s decision to impose the fines, so experts fear there may be further developments.
Price increases for cloud services and software
If Europe decides to impose a 20% tariff on U.S. products and services as well, prices will rise in the Netherlands too. This applies particularly to cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud; licenses for popular software, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe; and American SaaS services focused on CRM, ERP, and marketing. This could become a major problem, as these services and software are a crucial part of the digital infrastructure for many European companies. The higher costs incurred by companies will most likely be passed on to end users. As a result, products and services will also become significantly more expensive for consumers in Europe. Experts fear that this will also hinder the transition to cloud solutions.
Is the trade war also affecting telecommunications services?
There is certainly a possibility that telecom services will also feel the effects of the trade war between Europe and the United States. Higher costs are likely, particularly in the areas of international calling and roaming. International voice termination could become significantly more expensive if U.S. carriers pass on their increased costs. In addition, services such as Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet would become less competitive in terms of price if tariffs are imposed on them.
What will Europe do?
Europe faces an important decision. How should we respond to the import tariffs imposed by the United States, and what impact will this have on our economy? Looking at it from another angle, we could also say that this situation creates opportunities for European providers of telecom and cloud services. They can now easily strengthen their position in the European market. The only problem is that switching providers isn’t always a quick process, so many companies will still be dependent on American tech companies for the time being.