EU antitrust regulators postponed imposing a fine on Alphabet's Google over alleged favouring of its own advertising services while awaiting a U.S. tariff reduction on European cars tied to a trade deal. The European Commission proposed scrapping tariffs on imported U.S. industrial goods and expects a U.S. announcement to cut car tariffs to 15% from 27.5%. Sources said Google was told of an imminent announcement that did not occur and that the delay may last up to a month amid questions from EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic. Germany's Monopolies Commission called the delay an alarming precedent for antitrust independence. Commission and Google declined to comment.
Tariffs on cars were a big part of the negotiations that led to a trade deal between the United States and the European Union. The executive European Commission last week proposed to scrap tariffs on imported U.S. industrial goods and it expects an announcement soon from the United States on its promised cut in U.S. tariffs on European cars to 15% from 27.5%. At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to retaliate against the EU for any push against Big Tech.
Google was told on Friday that EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera would announce the fine on Monday but the announcement was not made and no explanation was given to the company, another source said. One of the sources said the delay was not expected to last more than a month and three said it was caused by EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic asking questions about Ribera's decision without commenting on the delay's length.
They asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak publicly on the issue. Germany's Monopolies Commission called the delay to the announcement an alarming precedent for the independence of European antitrust enforcement. "The protection of competition must not become a pawn of the Trump administration," its chairman Tomaso Duso said in a statement.
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