Logistics Shipping from |

It is explained: What is the UK digital services tax and why did Trump anger ’?

02/05/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on ’ if he does not remove the digital service tax imposed on American technology companies.

Speaking at the Oval Office ’, Trump said, "We've been investigating this issue and the United Kingdom can easily afford it by imposing a huge tariff on “, so they'd better be careful," ’ said.

If they don't lower the tax, it's likely that Britain will impose a huge customs duty on “, ’ went on.

Here's what you need to know about tax seems to have shaken up Washington’.

What is Digital Service Tax?

The United Kingdom introduced the ’ Digital Services Tax (DST) on April 1, 2020, and it's increasing revenue from social media platforms, search engines, and online marketplaces that derive value from UK users. %He was taxed at two percent.

This applies to companies worldwide whose revenues from digital activities exceed £500 million (€576 million) and whose revenues exceed £25 million (€28.75 million) from users in the UK’.

According to UK revenue and customs figures, the tax has raised £944 million (€1.1 billion) from ’da technology companies in 2025-26; This is according to the amount collected a year ago. increased.

The DST was initially implemented as a temporary measure until an international agreement was reached to reform the global tax framework; However, this agreement was never implemented.

The UK government describes it as a temporary measure and has committed to lifting it when an appropriate global solution to the reallocation of taxation rights is provided.

Treasury’'s view is that the tax applies to businesses, not countries, and does not depend on where the company's headquarters are located.

This application, which was introduced in 2020, is valid for companies such as Alphabet’in Google, Meta and Amazon.

Apple’'s App Store’ may also be covered by an online marketplace, but UK tax authorities have never publicly verified which companies pay the tax.

Why is Trump targeting us?

This is not the first time Trump’ has pursued the UK’'s digital services tax, and his predecessor, Joe Biden, has also objected to the tax.

Speaking on Thursday, Trump said the tax exploited “, the world's best companies.

"They think they're going to make easy money, so they're taking advantage of our country," “ told reporters.

I don't like that they're targeting “ American companies, because you're basically talking about our big American companies; Whether we like these companies or not, they are American companies and the best companies in the world. The United Kingdom did it, a few others did it. - ”

When asked how high a retaliatory tariff would be, Trump said it would be more “ than they received from the tax.

"What we're going to do is we're going to respond to what they're doing by putting something equal to or greater than what they're doing," “ explained.

Where else have similar taxes been levied?

Some European countries also have a digital services tax (DST). France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Hungary, Poland and Portugal introduced them.

Apart from the European Union, Switzerland and Turkey have also implemented such taxes.

While most digital services taxes apply mainly to online advertising, DST in the UK, ’ targets social media platforms, internet search engines, and online marketplaces.

The European Union also has the Digital Markets Act, which regulates the largest companies in order to ensure fair competition in the digital market and to prevent anti-competitive practices.

In August, Trump wrote on his social media platform “ that he would stand up to countries attacking our incredible American Tech Companies.

“ Digital Taxes, Digital Services Legislation, and Digital Market Regulations are all designed to harm or discriminate against American Technology. This must end, he added, adding that important tariffs will be imposed unless they are removed.

InvestEU: Europe Plans to Mobilize Billions to Increase Decreased Investments

20/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

Avrupa’ needs to invest in its business, innovation and infrastructure to achieve its climate goals and initiate an economic recovery.

But almost half of EU companies say they plan to cut investments after the Covid pandemic.

Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), explains that the pandemic has made investment decisions “ more complex: “Income and resources of companies are decreasing steadily”. “Europe’'s competitiveness and its role in the world” is a major concern for “, he says.

How does InvestEU help?

InvestEU, a new EU programme, is mobilizing billions of euros in capital, taking on some financial risks for investors. It guarantees 26 billion euros from the EU budget and 7 billion euros from partner banks. Around 370 billion euros in public and private financing are expected to be mobilized.

The money will be transferred to projects that contribute to innovation and digitalization, SME ’s, especially projects that have been hit hard by the COVID crisis, encourage social participation and strengthen sustainable infrastructure.

Minimum of all investments ’u should contribute to the construction of a greener Europe by supporting the green transition of the European Union.

The European Commission works in partnership with the European Investment Bank ’, as well as other national promotional banks and international financial institutions.

InvestEU is following the steps of the European Strategic Investment Fund ’ (EFSI), also known as the Juncker Plan, which has successfully secured more than €500 billion in extra investments.

What does this investment look like in the field?

The European Union is working to revive the former coal mining town of Wałbrzych’i in the heart of Poland's Silesia’. It's been dependent on coal for 500 years, and that's changing now.

Wałbrzych received a 14m-euro loan from EIB’ to help him overcome the coal age and renovate the city center. The loan was partially backed by the European Commission.

Roman Szelemej, mayor of Wałbrzych, says that this means the reconstruction of a quarter of the Old City of “. This is especially “, who can start a new life, who can provide a new life to the old city” witnessed the revival of “social lives for new families.

EIB’den Werner Hoyer believes that investing in infrastructure and skills training is essential in places like Wałbrzych.

“, the coal miner who jumped out of the last coal mine in Southern Silesia’, will not be in charge of the digital Start-Up’ in two weeks, so we need to help these people move into the next generation of jobs, ” explains.

Social housing system

Wałbrzych is not the only town to benefit from the European investment plan. PolandPoznan’da, the fifth largest city in ’, focuses on social and affordable housing.

The mayor of Poznan, Jacek Jaskowiak, explains that “, we need to build some apartments for young people and the elderly”.

’ says that if these people take some money and help them settle in Poznan“a, they can find a good job and send their children to kindergarten. Affordable housing is a strategy to bring more life and work back to the city.

The program is expected to create homes for 3,000 to 4,000 people.

Aleksandra, 69, is already one of the beneficiaries of this project. He says he was thrilled when he was able to move into his new apartment with a balcony.

He says he will never be able to buy a place alone for financial reasons.

EIB security label

To finance this housing project, developer PTBS applied to EIB’ for a loan of half the total cost. It helped make up for investors' reluctance.

PTBS CEO ’ Andrzej Konieczny explains that banks do not trust them at first because the project is different from the business they usually finance. However, “ added that they managed to reach an agreement with the EIB and that they trust ”biz.

Some people take the EIB Finance label as a security measure because the main or key decisions here are made by people with a technical background or science background.

Werner Hoyer

President of the European Investment Bank

The company expects this project to be successful and looks at future projects with the EIB’nin ‘onay seal’.

From July 2021’, InvestEU will replace the Juncker plan. This time, local banks, such as the BGK in ’, Poland, will also work with the EIB.

Porsche shares fall as company warns of low sales

18/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

German car giant Porsche’ shares in Frankfurt’ on Wednesday afternoon after the company issued its second profit warning after a few months hiatus %It lost 4.9 percent of its value. This warning highlighted the possible negative effects of falling sales and rising costs.

Porsche reports group sales revenue for 2024 compared to the previous year %He said it was €40.1 billion, down 1 percent, but said more competitive pricing and personalization options helped limit losses to some extent.

The operating profit of the Group amounted to €5.6 billion last year from €7.3 billion ’ in 2023’; operating sales return as a reflection of shrinking profit margins ’den .1’e down.

In February, the company announced that it would invest €800 million in new hybrid and internal combustion engine models; This move is expected to bring profits this year.

Porsche has confirmed that it plans to lay off about 1,900 people by 2029; In addition to the 2,000 job losses expected immediately after the expiration of fixed-term employment contracts, employees are encouraged to accept severance packages or receive early retirement.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, “, said the entire industry was already in a difficult situation due to the disparity between regulations on the transition to electric vehicles and unbalanced demand for electric vehicles among consumers, as well as increased competition from China’ and poor consumer confidence.

Bell added that at “Porsche’, this was further exacerbated by supply chain issues and delays in the launch of new models. “Now tariffs have also been added to the mix, Porsche’nin %It seems even more difficult to reach the 20’ margin target.”

Mold also underlined that focusing on streamlining the company and changing key managers could be good steps for Porsche, but these will not be of much use to the company in the short term.

Volkswagen subsidiary in the long term %Targets sales return of over 20’, but medium-term prospects in a challenging business environment %From 15 to tween the 17th.

Euronews contacted Porsche for further comment.

ChinaWeak demand from ’ continues to negatively impact Porsche’

Along with other luxury German car companies such as Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, China is feeling the effects of falling demand in ’, where rising living costs are reluctant for consumers to spend on luxury goods.

The company is also facing growing competition from Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers such as BYD, Geely and SAIC, which have increased their European market share by offering cheaper products with more modern designs and more features in their domestic market.

The decline in demand for electric vehicles across Europe has also affected Porsche’; because relatively high interest rates and inflation continue to put pressure on consumer wallets and trust. This trend has been affected by increasing Chinese competition, and the market value so far this year has been %It also affected other major EV manufacturers, such as Tesla, whose 40’ was wiped out.

Buyers are also increasingly distanced from Tesla’ due to Elon Musk’'s growing involvement in U.S. politics and growing dissatisfaction with his vocal support for far-right figures in Europe’.

How is Germany’'s auto industry preparing for Donald Trump’'s tariffs?

17/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched a tariff war with U.S. ’'s three largest trading partners; Canada and Mexico’ya ’ imposed customs duties, and China’e doubled the import tax already imposed %He went up to 20’.

On Thursday, Mexico withdrew and postponed tariffs on some imports from ’ and Canada, but stressed that it would impose additional tariffs in early April.

The prospect of an international trade war triggered by Trump’'s tariffs comes at a bad time for the German economy, which is shrinking for the second time in a row in 2024’.

Once an economic powerhouse, ’ is projected to be the bloc's weakest performing country by 2025.

But experts suggest that the impact of the tariff war between China, Mexico and Canada will have a limited impact on Germany, at least for now, as well as affecting German manufacturers and suppliers in these three countries.

Julian Hinz, Professor of International Economics at the University of Bielefeld and Chair of the Trade Policy Research Group at the Kiel Institute for World Economics, euronews’e said: “In the medium term at least, some trade divergence can be expected in the sense that products designed to go to ABD’ye, for example China’e, now reach European markets.”

But instead of the US, China, Mexico and Canada, Europe can also import a little more than ’. Hinz says “Effects blur the overall picture a bit.

German car companies, including Audi, produce cars in ’, Mexico. According to the German Automobile Association (VDA), German automakers produced 716,000 cars in the country, mainly in the US market.

If Trump’'s tariffs mean German cars made in the Mexican ’ can't be sold as easily, or are now much more expensive in the US ’, this could have a bigger impact on “, Hinz says.

On Thursday, Trump granted a one-month tax exemption to automakers in Mexico and Canada, following talks with industry leaders.

But by the end of the month, German economist Thomas Hutzschenreuter says tariffs, followed by reduced demand for German cars from the Mexican ’, will affect the German, European and Mexican workforce.

Hutzschenreuter Euronews’e “Unemployment rates will be affected” said.

Tariffs of the European Union

Experts warn that the picture will change dramatically if Trump’ decides to impose tariffs on the European Union ’; He threatened to do so in late February.

Hutzschenreuter, “This means that individual companies will have to diversify their sales around the world. In other words, they will have to prioritize the U.S. market and give more priority to other markets. This is currently being discussed at most German companies, ” said.

“The problem, however, is that you can't react quickly when applying tariffs. The reaction takes more time. So you'll be impressed in the short term.”

According to figures from the German Trade and Investment (GTAI) office, one of the sectors particularly exposed is the fact that in 2023, Germany exceeded ’'s total exports. %It is the automotive industry of the country that makes up the 17’sini.

Germany’'s automotive industry entered crisis mode last year when once-strong automakers like Volkswagen closed their factories and laid off thousands of people.

VDA president Hildegard Müller said in February that Trump's European Union %He commented that the threat of 25 customs duties was a “provocation”.

Müller, “Tariffs are the wrong negotiation tool, ” said. “The risk of a global trade conflict that will negatively affect the world economy is high.”

According to simulations by the Kiel Institute for World Economics’, increased tariffs will lead to economic losses and inflation in both AB’ and ABD’.

In ’, Germany, this will affect the automotive and mechanical engineering industries; Kiel Institute of Total Production for Automobiles %It shows that it will decrease to 4’e.

Hinz, “This is a huge figure for an industry that is already in a difficult situation, ” says.

One thing that should be emphasized for Hinz, Germany and the EU as a whole is that although the U.S. is an important trading partner, exports He said that ’ had to go there.

Even in the worst-case scenario of dramatic tariffs imposed by “, most of the imports from AB’ remain in AB’, and many other trading partners will continue to operate as before, with trade operating perfectly under WTO rules and free trade agreements.

Hinz, “, this is where the U.S. hurts itself the most, ending up as ”.