I don't see an actual EU angle in this? It seems like a proposal that the French want to present to the EU council of ministers. At which point it will be dropped as it is simply a tarif in everything but name and has almost zero chance of attracting unanimous support it would require in the council.
I'm European but it amuses me that it is always the revenues of American tech companies that seem to provoke such irrational outrage in Europe. I never hear the same outrage caused by the fact that German companies don't pay corporation tax on their sales to China or French aeronautical companies can sell their stuff all over the world without having to pay local corporation tax.
If I was cynical, I would suggest that it's motivated ugly jingoism but I don't think it's the case. I've argued with friends and acquaintances about this and they simply refuse to accept that there is anything comparable between American tech companies selling stuff in Europe to European companies selling stuff all over the world.
The inconsistency is that my friends will claim to be broadly in favor of "free trade". It's as if the rules of free trade are fine for "old" stuff like cars and aeroplanes, pharmaceuticals, banking, legal services, wine, etc. but not for modern tech/IT.
I mean I can understand your position if you're against free trade in general. In that case, putting up tarifs on "foreign" imports is a consistent stance.
I'm European but it amuses me that it is always the revenues of American tech companies that seem to provoke such irrational outrage in Europe. I never hear the same outrage caused by the fact that German companies don't pay corporation tax on their sales to China or French aeronautical companies can sell their stuff all over the world without having to pay local corporation tax.
If I was cynical, I would suggest that it's motivated ugly jingoism but I don't think it's the case. I've argued with friends and acquaintances about this and they simply refuse to accept that there is anything comparable between American tech companies selling stuff in Europe to European companies selling stuff all over the world.
The inconsistency is that my friends will claim to be broadly in favor of "free trade". It's as if the rules of free trade are fine for "old" stuff like cars and aeroplanes, pharmaceuticals, banking, legal services, wine, etc. but not for modern tech/IT.
I mean I can understand your position if you're against free trade in general. In that case, putting up tarifs on "foreign" imports is a consistent stance.