That perception is likely more true than many Americans would prefer to admit.

As an American, I agree with this. It comes down to the value of the market. GDPR has a major impact on American companies because the EU is a valuable market - as I understand it, every company has the option to opt out of GDPR by ceasing operations in the EU, which would mean blocking EU traffic (I may be oversimplifying a bit, but the crux is the same). The US treats the rest of the world complying with its laws the same way, and any company could opt out of US laws by not servicing US customers.

Can you provide a few examples?

FATCA, for example. It forces all foreign banks with US customers to report their customers and their assets to the US treasury or suffer a 30% withholding tax on all US sourced payments [1].

Needless to say, non-compliance is not a real option for most banks, given the importance of the US in the banking sector, so they're essentially being blackmailed into compliance.

(Unfortunately for US expats, some foreign banks figured out that the easiest way to be compliant was simply to get rid of their US customers.)

[1] https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/1471

In Sweden we have a mandatory tax on all storage units, harddrives, dvds usb drives, you name it. This is to combat piracy and the loss of profit for companies.

Of course this was pushed through by US lobbyists and, you guessed it, that's where the money goes as well.

Completely different situation. If it was only to sales to US customers, then it would be comparable. That the Swedish government allowed external influence to change the laws for its own citizens is nothing like the GDPR applying only to EU citizens.

> Of course this was pushed through by US lobbyists and, you guessed it, that's where the money goes as well.

You can be certain that some (local) politicians got some kick-backs out of it.

Same in Slovenia, I think. I actually love this tax! It allows me to pirate guilt-free :D

The US expects to be asked permission before encryption technology can be used in a software product. Our copyright and general intellectual property policy has been pushed on everyone else. We (The US) even go so far as to heavily interfere in other countries politics, covertly or overtly, to maintain favorable trade conditions and protect our prevailing ideology.

DMCA is a big one. Copyright, in general: not complying with US regulations, even if you are in, say Sweden (cough Pirate Bay), is unwise.

There is also the impact of PATRIOT section 215 and FISA, which requires some foreign companies to ensure that some sensitive data is not stored on devices operated by American companies.

Kim Dotcom and the U.S. meddling in NZ.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA)/Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) are the two obvious ones.

The US blocked Antiguan gambling companies from doing business with American citizens, despite permitting domestic companies to offer the same services. The US lost a WTO dispute and refused to pay the settlement, which now amounts to nearly $300m. Bizarrely, the WTO granted Antigua the right to breach American copyright law by way of restitution.

https://calvinayre.com/2016/11/28/business/antigua-warn-amer...

FATCA is a huge one. It's a huge cost to European tax payers and it's not even clear if it benefits Americans.

US v Microsoft https://www.wired.com/story/us-vs-microsoft-supreme-court-ca...

Net Neutrality https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/23/16693840/net-neutrality-...

Are the two immediate ones that come to mind.

The US pulling out of the Iran Nuclear Deal, and forcing sanctions on those companies that are doing business both in Iran and the US.