Publications: Hilal Aka

“Non-tariff attacks” on U.S. tech companies are not just tax and regulatory hurdles—they are also eroding America’s strategic edge. Washington must identify, deter, and counter these measures in order to prevent ceding U.S. technology leadership to other nations.

The failure of the Amazon/iRobot transaction, which was opposed by EU and U.S. antitrust authorities, has had catastrophic consequences for the American robotics firm and played into the hands of Chinese robot manufacturing rivals.

The EU’s overbroad interoperability mandates target U.S. tech firms, delay new features for European users, and open the door for China to challenge Western tech leadership.

While critics attack “big tech” from many angles, these five companies develop frontier technologies that require large-scale development, build infrastructure ranging from data centers to subsea cables, and create spillovers from health care to nuclear energy.

Korea now faces a clear choice between abandoning discriminatory policies disguised as domestic regulation or risking losing access to American semiconductors and advanced technologies on which its own tech sector depends.

The EU’s €376 million fine against Intel for decades-old conduct risks weakening a struggling Western chipmaker at a time when China is heavily investing to dominate the semiconductor industry.

After facing U.S. backlash over a bill modeled on the EU’s Digital Markets Act, South Korea appeared to pause its digital antitrust push. But rather than stepping back entirely, the government has shifted focus to the Online Platform Fairness Act, which may prove even more intrusive.

The Trump administration should push back against foreign governments enacting policies specifically tailored to undermine American tech companies and US leadership.

With limited bandwidth for negotiations, we can no longer afford to treat all trade sectors equally. The administration should focus on what matters most for America’s economic and national security future: defending our technology industry from foreign attacks.

EU policymakers frame their legislative and regulatory actions against U.S. tech companies as measures to promote competition and protect consumers. But they operate as protectionist trade barriers and revenue-generating mechanisms.