Beijing Cut Apple's App Tax. Brussels Is Still Fighting For It.

China's regulators secured a clean 30%-to-25% App Store commission cut from Apple in a matter of quiet talks. The European Commission spent years on legal proceedings, threatened a €500 million fine, and still ended up with a fee structure that added a 5% Core Technology Commission. For European founders and policymakers, the contrast is uncomfortable.

Beijing Cut Apple's App Tax. Brussels Is Still Fighting For It. China's regulators secured a clean 30%-to-25% App Store commission cut from Apple in a matter of quiet talks. The European Commission spent years on legal proceedings, threatened a €500 million fine, and still ended up with a fee structure that added a 5% Core Technology Commission. For European founders and policymakers, the contrast is uncomfortable. ## What happened in China On March 13, 2026, Apple announced it would reduce its standard App Store commission rate in Mainland China from 30% to 25%, effective March 15, 2026. Smaller developers in China saw their rate drop from 15% to 12% on the same date. Apple stated the cuts followed discussions with Chinese regulators. No protracted legal process. No public enforcement action. No bundled fee offsets. A clean cut, announced and effective within two days. ## How it works / the…

Beijing Cut Apple's App Tax. Brussels Is Still Fighting For It.

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