OREANDA-NEWS. In connection with the introduction of France's digital tax on US companies, the United States may impose duties on French goods worth about $ 2.4 billion. This is stated in a statement issued on Monday by the US representative’s apparatus at trade talks. Among the categories of goods for which additional duties up to 100% may be introduced are French cheeses, champagne and cosmetics.

"The US representative’s office completed the first phase of the investigation under article 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, which provides for possible sanctions against" unfair trading partners "and concluded that France’s digital tax discriminates against US companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. Today’s the decision of the apparatus sends a clear signal that the United States will introduce measures against those digital tax regimes that discriminate or burden US companies, - the statements of the head of the department Robert Lighthizer are given. and 301 are beginning investigations into taxes on digital services in Austria, Italy and Turkey".

The representative’s office called on the public to comment on possible actions by January 6, 2020. According to article 301, a public hearing is scheduled for this issue on January 7, 2020.