Why We Must No Longer Bow to Trump & Co.
By Werner Hoffmann
Democracy of the Center – because political extremes are tearing nations apart.
Our Market Power: Time to Get Tough on Trump and US Dominance
Democratic countries around the globe need to realize the full extent of their market power—and start using it. The world is not nearly as dependent on the United States as Donald Trump and his followers would like us to believe.
The United States has about 330 million people—no small number. But the European Union alone accounts for over 450 million people. When we add other democratic allies, the result is a global alliance that’s hard to ignore:
- 67 million in the United Kingdom
- 39 million in Canada
- Over 1.4 billion in India
- 126 million in Japan
- 52 million in South Korea
- 26 million in Australia
- Nearly 5 million in New Zealand
This #CoalitionOfWilling #Democracies represents over 2.5 billion people living in free, democratic societies—an enormous force economically, culturally, and politically.
Trade in Goods and Services: The Numbers Are Clear
In 2023, trade in goods between the EU and the US totaled more than €1.1 trillion. EU exports to the US made up around €500 billion, while imports from the US were around €470 billion.
But when it comes to services, the picture changes: The EU imports far more from the US than it exports—leading to an annual trade deficit of approximately €80 billion. These imported services include:
- Cloud services operated by US giants like Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, sold across Europe
- Digital advertising on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube—seen in Europe but billed and paid for in the US
- Streaming subscriptions like Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV, distributing US content globally
- Software subscriptions such as Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, Salesforce, and Zoom
- App store revenues from Apple and Google, with massive profits flowing back to the US
It’s Time to Tax Digital Services Fairly
These digital services should be treated the same as physical goods when entering the EU—with import duties or digital usage fees. It makes no sense that a small German manufacturer pays tariffs on every single screw, while billions flow through servers in California—tax-free and unchecked.
Fair Taxation for US Corporations
And let this be clear: Any company making money in Europe must pay taxes here too.
Many US corporations still shift profits through Ireland, Luxembourg, or the Netherlands to avoid taxes. This kind of aggressive tax avoidance must no longer be tolerated.
Digital corporations that sell their services and products in the EU must be required to declare and tax their revenues in the country where those revenues are earned—not in offshore tax shelters.
Our Message to Trump & Co.
Trump and his followers need to understand something very clearly:
We are not dependent on them—
they are dependent on us.
If the US under Trump continues down the path of economic nationalism, then we—as strong democracies—must respond decisively: with counter-tariffs, digital taxes, and firm policies.
We have the power—we just need to use it.
#Tariffs #USA #Trump #DigitalGiants #EUTRADE #DigitalTax #FairTrade #Democracies
