US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has made it unambiguously clear that the United States will not permit the European Union to dictate how American technology companies are regulated, calling the EU’s approach discriminatory and vowing to keep oversight firmly on American soil.

“We’re not going to allow that regulation to be outsourced,” Greer said at an Atlantic Council event in December 2025.

The DMA problem

At the center of this transatlantic friction is the EU’s Digital Markets Act, a sweeping piece of legislation designed to rein in the dominance of large tech platforms. The DMA has been used to target American giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon, companies the EU considers “gatekeepers” of the digital economy.

Greer’s office views this differently. From Washington’s perspective, the DMA disproportionately targets US firms while leaving European competitors relatively untouched.

The US has referenced potential Section 301 investigations into EU digital policies. Section 301 allows the US to impose tariffs or other trade restrictions against countries engaged in practices deemed unfair to American commerce.

European companies including Spotify and Siemens have been named as possible targets for countermeasures, a signal that Washington is willing to hit back where it hurts if negotiations stall.

Turnberry and the negotiation deadlock

The US and EU have been negotiating under the Turnberry Agreement framework, which is meant to address digital non-discrimination commitments between the two trading blocs.

As of mid-2026, Greer has publicly pointed to the EU’s lack of flexibility on digital trade and non-tariff barriers.

Greer was confirmed as the 20th US Trade Representative on February 27, 2025.

What this means for crypto and digital asset investors

Greer’s public statements have not explicitly mentioned crypto assets, digital tokens, or blockchain-related regulations. The current battle is firmly about Big Tech platform regulation and how the DMA affects companies like Google and Amazon.

The EU already has its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, which regulates crypto across the bloc. A world where the US actively retaliates against EU digital regulation writ large is a world where MiCA compliance for US-based crypto firms becomes a geopolitical question, not just a legal one.

If Section 301 investigations are formally launched, expect volatility in US tech stocks, particularly among companies with significant European revenue exposure. Bitcoin and major altcoins have increasingly moved in sympathy with tech-heavy indices during periods of macro uncertainty.

If Brussels doubles down on DMA enforcement in response to US pressure, it could introduce new compliance costs for any digital company operating across both jurisdictions.