The Trump administration has stepped up pressure on foreign governments over digital regulations that it argues unfairly target American technology companies.

The move makes protection of U.S. innovation and market access a central part of its trade strategy.

Politico reported that over the past month, the administration has paused negotiations on a technology agreement with the United Kingdom, canceled a trade meeting with South Korea, and issued warnings tied to enforcement of European Union digital rules.

The moves reflect growing concern that foreign regulations are being used to constrain U.S. technology firms while favoring domestic competitors.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has pressed trading partners to reconsider digital taxes, privacy mandates, and platform regulations that the administration says operate as trade barriers against American companies.

The administration argues that these measures impose disproportionate costs on U.S.-based firms and risk limiting their ability to compete globally.

Everett Eissenstat, who served as director of the National Economic Council during President Donald Trump's first term, said the administration is signaling it has reviewed the regulations closely and is prepared to respond if negotiations fail to produce changes.

While the administration has increased its rhetoric, it has so far avoided imposing new tariffs or penalties that could disrupt existing trade arrangements or unsettle financial markets.

Instead, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has raised the possibility of launching formal trade investigations into digital regulations, a step that could lead to targeted enforcement actions.

Greer has emphasized that any investigation would be aimed at securing negotiated outcomes rather than triggering broader trade conflicts.

He has said the administration's goal is to protect American companies while preserving stable trade relationships with partners such as the European Union and South Korea.

Opposition to foreign technology regulations has become a more prominent part of Trump's second-term trade agenda.

Earlier this year, U.S. pressure prompted Canada to withdraw a proposed digital services tax on large online platforms. Similar progress has proven more difficult with the EU, the U.K., and South Korea.

A preliminary trade understanding reached with the EU over the summer included commitments to address unjustified digital trade barriers and avoid new network usage fees.

A separate framework with South Korea included assurances that platform regulations and data rules would not disadvantage American companies.

The administration has signaled that it prefers targeted trade tools and enforcement mechanisms over sweeping tariff increases as negotiations continue.

Reps. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., and Carol Miller, R-W.Va., led 41 House members in a letter earlier in the year praising the Trump administration's trade negotiations and urging continued action to protect American digital companies from foreign regulatory barriers.

The lawmakers commended the administration's efforts and called on it to address South Korean policies they said unfairly target U.S. service providers and innovators, arguing that removing those barriers would strengthen American competitiveness, supply chains and investment.

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