President Donald Trump said he would impose tariffs on Britain if Prime Minister Keir Starmer does not drop the digital service tax, The Telegraph reported on Friday, citing an interview with the president.
Trump told The Telegraph he would “put a big tariff on the UK” if it did not drop its tax, which is viewed as unfairly targeting US tech companies.
The United Kingdom rolled out its 2% digital services tax in 2020, a move that has been criticized by Trump and his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden.
President Trump gestures during a meeting with Lebanon’s Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 23, 2026. AFP via Getty ImagesThe digital service tax targets companies like Apple, Alphabet’s Google, and Meta.
“I don’t like it when they target American companies, because basically, you’re talking about our great American companies…and the top companies in the world,” Trump said.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks during a visit to Kenton United Synagogue, which was recently the target of an attempted arson, in the Kenton district of London on April 23, 2026. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
The digital service tax targets companies like Apple, Alphabet’s Google, and Meta. REUTERS“We’ve been looking at it, and we can meet that very easily by just putting a big tariff on the UK. So they better be careful. If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK,” he added.
Trump’s comments come ahead of a visit by Britain’s King Charles to the US, next week.
