It’s one thing to hit Harley-Davidson motorcycles and bourbon whiskey, it’s another thing to target the Silicon Valley or Wall Street, Politico comments in his analysis.

The European Union is considering opening up a new front, as President Donald Trump is preparing to impose on all the commercial partners in America on Wednesday.

OR ‘Day of Liberation’, As Trump called her, she will mark the greatest escalation in the trade war that the US president began for the first time against Canada, Mexico and China after his swearing -in on January 20. Soon, universal duties followed in steel and aluminum, and then to cars – with the burden falling on the European Commission, the EU executive, to defend the financial interests of the 27 -member block.

Brussels so far have followed the Traditional “Commercial War Rules Manual”, corresponding to Trump’s duties to industrial metals to equivalent to emblematic American brands such as Harley-Davidson.

The answer is intended to be proportionate, or to ‘mirror’ the movements of the US government – but not to escalate.

Now, with Washington threatening to further punish the EU, not only for its existing duties, but also for what it considers as non -tariff barriers, such as its technology regulations, Brussels They are preparing to “raise the bar”.

Targeting US Services, Brussels could consider brushes in banks such as JP Morgan or Bank of America or “Technological Players” such as Ilon Musk’s social network, Google’s search giant or Amazon, the largest retail online salesman in the world.

“Certainly we do not exclude a greater answer, a better answer and an even more creative response through services, through [δικαιωμάτων πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας]’, He said in mid -March a senior official of the European Union.

“All of these choices are on the table today.”

The EU is a pure exporter of cars, pharmaceuticals and foods in the US, but it is a pure importer of services – and this gives it an advantage in a commercial dispute. (In combination of goods – services, the transit trade is actually balanced.

“US technological giants, financial industry and pharmaceutical companies have deep roots in Europe. With very high pressure Brussels could tighten the screws: Digital duties in Silicon Valley, Wall Street -limited or taxes to US drug exports’, Tobias Gehrke, a senior European Council on Foreign Policy Council, told Politico.

“America may hold the biggest stick, but Europe has a lot of sharp stones to fly.”

Hit instead

In the Ring of the trade war with Trump, the EU has fought so far in the same weight category: hit instead of hitting.

After Washington imposed new and wider duties on steel and aluminum imports in mid -March, the Commission is ready to respond in kind, affecting US exports of 26 billion euros. After difficult consultations with EU governments and businesses, Brussels should propose these tariff lists as soon as possible this week.

The point is that you can hit goods to a point when the damage is so great.

‘If Trump imposes mutual duties, we come in In a whole new game »; commented on an EU diplomat speaking anonymously.

Depending on Trump’s tactics, there are two general ways in which the Commission could answer to hit the services.

First, using the existing regulations it has created over the last five years, it can tighten the rules governing Big Tech, tax the big US banks or slow down the issuance of licenses for business in the EU.

“When you see the placement of large American technology companies in recent months, all close to Trump, you have the impression that they are putting pressure on the White House against Europe. In fact, are extremely vulnerable to retaliation » Iv Melin, a partner at Cassidy Levy Kent, said.

A typical example is the law on the digital markets of the bloc, which seeks to limit the power of the dominant technological players and to preserve competition. The committee is going to decide even that a week if Apple and Meta (Facebook) violate these rules.

But it is also an area where Brussels They are cautious about “lighting fires”.

“The problem with the digital part is that when the EU does this, the pressure from the US into the regulatory framework will increase accordingly,” said Arnud Yilems, a partner in international trade in the King & Spalding law firm.

Taxation of financial transactions and digital flows, or the obligation of US airlines to pay more to land at European airports, are other pressure levers available to the EU, he added.

The EU could also limit US companies’ access to public contracts. If Brussels excludes US companies in energy or business consultants from EU public procurement, this will be a major source of revenue.

The bazooka

As a last solution, the EU executive body can use its commercial “Bazoukas” – the so -called “tool against coercion”. As his name implies, he will allow a broad response, including targeting services, if Brussels concludes that US actions are excessive.

“These things are in principle … possibly, for example, under the compulsion mechanism,” the senior European official said when asked if the Union would hit the services.

Within six months, the Commission could reach the point of “plugging in” on Musk’s Platform X, restricting the copyright rights of US technological giants or banning them from investing in the EU.

In a case against coercion, “I will not be surprised if the first victims are the American technological industry,” said Melin, a lawyer.

While the EU executive would have the power when to use this nuclear choice, it would require the support of 15 of its 27 Member States to and how it would act.

“Many Member States do not want to escalate with the firing of a compulsion case”, The aforementioned EU diplomat observed.

European businesses are concerned about the scenario to follow this route.

“The problem with all these pressure exercise ideas is that it’s not really pressure,” commented Louisa Santos, Deputy Director General of the Businesseurope Lobby.

“Our economies are so interconnected … that even if you impose duties or any other measure on the part of the services, you will hurt your own interest ‘, added.

And even though escalating will, Brussels also hope to bring Washington to the negotiating table. Trade Commissioner Maros Shefkovic hopes that his US counterparts can come up with a “document in terms” defining a framework for conversations – when the next round of duties is in place.

They could involve duties reduction, investment in US defense companies, boosting the supplies of liquefied natural gas from the US or relaxing certain regulations.

“We do not want to pass from trade to security. They may not want to go through trade in technology, right? ” He declared a senior official from a member of the EU.

“I mean, if we clash, let’s have at least one clear framework.”