Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 9, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGermany's Merz stresses that foreign companies must adhere to EU rules, following Trump's critique of a fine on X. Legal avenues are available for contesting sanctions.
BERLIN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Foreign companies, including those from the United States, must obey German and EU rules when they operate there, Germany's chancellor said on Tuesday, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of a fine imposed on social media platform X.
"Just as European and German companies have to follow the rules in America, sometimes facing very draconian punishments, so American companies must accept our rules here, and if they don't, then there are possiblities for sanctioning them," Friedrich Merz told reporters.
"There are legal avenues for challenging (those sanctions), and they are available to all companies, European and American," he added.
Trump described on Monday as "nasty" the 120 million euro fine the European Commission levied on Elon Musk's social media platform for violating European transparency rules.
(Reporting by Thomas EscrittEditing by Gareth Jones)
Compliance refers to the process of ensuring that a company adheres to legal standards, regulations, and internal policies. It is essential for maintaining operational integrity and avoiding legal penalties.
Financial regulation involves the rules and laws that govern financial institutions and markets. These regulations aim to maintain stability, protect consumers, and ensure fair practices within the financial system.
A fine is a monetary penalty imposed by a regulatory authority on an individual or organization for violating laws or regulations. Fines are often used as a deterrent against non-compliance.
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