By Jo Harper
WARSAW (AA) – The incoming US ambassador to Poland warned Monday that the country will face consequences if it supports a tax by the European Union that would be paid by the largest American tech companies.
"Not very smart! A self-destructive tax that will only harm Poland and its relations with the US. President Trump will take retaliatory action. Cancel the tax to avoid consequences!" Thomas Rose wrote on X, without elaborating.
Earlier Monday, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Gawkowski, spoke about plans to introduce a digital tax on big tech companies to be presented in the coming months, with funds going to support the development of companies and startups from the digital and technology sector and the media.
Polish ministers clashed with their US counterparts at the weekend over support for Ukraine and replacing US with EU technology in an unprecedented downturn in usually friendly relations between the two NATO allies.
Trump and members of his Cabinet have repeatedly in recent weeks presented the digital taxes imposed by European countries -- and EU regulations and penalties generally -- for American corporations as examples of unfair treatment of the US by the EU.
Trump and his Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, announced that what they called trade barriers, like value-added tax (VAT), will be taken into account when imposing tariffs on the EU.
According to European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, the European market is a source of up to 40% of revenue for the US tech giants. Digital services are an area where the US has a large surplus of €109 billion ($118 billion), he added.
"It could transfer profits from powerful global corporations, regardless of their place of origin, to the budget, and they could then work for the development of Polish technology companies, support Polish startups, deep tech, cloud companies or the creation of quality content by the media," he said.