Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.10-195341/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-10/us-says-will-retaliate-if-poland-introduces-tax-on-big-tech

Poland will face consequences if it introduces a levy on large technology companies, the incoming US envoy to Warsaw warned on Monday, as the spat between the two allies escalated.

The government seeks to present a model to collect taxes from the so-called Big Tech firms in the coming months, Digitization Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski was reported as saying by PAP newswire on Monday. Tom Rose, whom President Donald Trump appointed as US next ambassador in Poland, called the plan “not very smart” in a post on social media platform X.

Rose said that the new tax would hurt the relations between the two countries and the US president would “reciprocate as well he should.”

The response comes a day after Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski clashed with Elon Musk on the X platform over Starlink satellite-internet system for Ukraine and was also accused by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of “making things up.”

  • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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    9 hours ago

    Germany better march into Polandball* before the Murikans do!!

    ######*to defend it

    • shininghero@pawb.social
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      3 hours ago

      The political equivalent of grade school bullying. It even has the exact same consequences for your reputation, except now it’s global instead of being limited to that school building.

    • misk@sopuli.xyzOP
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      9 hours ago

      Protecting interests of American businesses, possibly ideological although bribery could be involved too. Trump has been consistent on tariffs for nearly 50 years so it’s safe to assume it’s one of his few core beliefs that’s not as easily affected by his other personality issues.

      • nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        9 hours ago

        American Business is modelled on importing and outsourcing. I don’t understand how this protects business interests

        • bugg@lemm.ee
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          3 hours ago

          You’re right and this disregard for the old system is making me nervous. These moves are so economically unsound that I can only draw the conclusion that the old neo-liberal business interests are not a concern anymore. If America tanks its importing and outsourcing model, what will it be replaced with? I’m not confident there’s a plan here (other than isolation and destruction).

          • nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            14 minutes ago

            I’ve been trying to figure out many of the conservative viewpoints for a long time. some of them I can steel man a little bit, but this one really confuses me a lot. it’s just too stupid

        • misk@sopuli.xyzOP
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          7 hours ago

          Taxes make companies earn less money. Trump tries to dissuade Poland from taxing American companies using threat of tariffs. I’m not sure how to put it in easier terms.

            • misk@sopuli.xyzOP
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              4 hours ago

              I need you to make it less simple because you’re glossing over the details. Walk me through how tariffs on polish sausages (or whatever product/industry you think is adequate) will affect American business. This is not a symmetrical relationship between US and Poland and we don’t trade as much as most think.

      • nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        10 hours ago

        for what purpose? prices have been lower and standard of living higher than anywhere else in the world because of the trade imbalances. unemployment is low unless you’re in tech. i don’t understand what is meant to be achieved by any of this

          • nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            9 hours ago

            the low prices and high standard of living are due to the manufacturing being outsourced. i don’t understand what the end goal of boosting production capabilities is

            • khannie@lemmy.world
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              9 hours ago

              i don’t understand what the end goal of boosting production capabilities is

              Wartime manufacturing capacity would be my guess. Probably an element of self sufficiency too.

              Shipbuilding capacity is just a fraction of China’s now for example. Same goes for electronics.

          • NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone
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            9 hours ago

            I saw that, but surely if you wanted to protect US industrial base you’d be much more targeted about it? Unless the point is to create uncertainty and devalue the dollar that way.

            • nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              9 hours ago

              i think it’s possible that they want to devalue the dollar. but this all defeats everything that distinguished life in the usa from other countries

  • boreengreen@lemm.ee
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    14 hours ago

    I think Europe needs to use european made tools and services. US software- and cloud providers can’t be trusted with nation critical things. At this point any data they have access to, will eventually find it self on Putins desk. Trump will use these companies as leverage and to make threats.

    • segabased@lemmy.zip
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      13 hours ago

      US cloud supports our military endeavors and it spies on you. That AI facial recognition drones and police are using are powered in large part by google and other big tech companies. The immensity of the data centers and how much they cost to build and operate is staggering. You have no idea how much simply not using google would impact the world as google has it’s hands in everything.

      Stop using American tech.

  • cocolowlander@feddit.nl
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    19 hours ago

    EU really needs to at least get off of American tech in government service. Our tax shouldn’t be going into their pockets.

  • Diplomjodler@lemmy.world
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    19 hours ago

    All of Europe should impose those taxes. Trump can impose tariffs if he wants. Let’s see how that goes for them.

    • NewDay@feddit.org
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      10 hours ago

      If Trump impose tariffs on one of the member of the EU then the entire EU will impose tariffs too. He knows that and he will not do it because he tried it in his first term and their tariffs were not 2 days active due to counter tariffs.

  • Phytobus@lemm.ee
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    20 hours ago

    How do you guys think Trump would retaliate? Trade tariffs can only be made against the whole EU instead of just Poland

    • rzadkie@lemmy.world
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      18 hours ago

      We have about 130 abrams, f16s make bulk of our airforce and patriots are our only modern long range sam platform. Not to mention f35s and apaches. The orangist could very easily pressure us but sadly our rulling class is bunch of bootlickers and probably are already figuring out how to undermine this bill.

      • Phytobus@lemm.ee
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        18 hours ago

        This is why we shouldn’t buy any more US military equipment and cancel all standing orders.

        • MordercaSkurwysyn@lemm.ee
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          10 hours ago

          I just hope that this huge rearmment investments that are being talked about are going to proceed immediatelly and not in a typical EU fashion - that is after 5 years of talks and letters of intent and summits. Ursula, Donald, don’t fuck this up!

  • FelixCress@lemmy.world
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    19 hours ago

    Multinational companies should be taxed on turnover in the individual countries, not on profits.

    And US companies are not above the law, for fuck sake.

    • overcooked_sap@lemmy.ca
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      18 hours ago

      Except the local versions of those companies make zero profit and have no taxable income. This why everyone agreed on a basic business tax rate until the orange monkey pulled out.

  • The Pantser@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    How about some of those “protections” you are giving to tech given to the people?

    Silly me we don’t like the people anymore.