The reason is because they setup their company legal structures to avoid paying tax, either in France or the US. Then the US every decade or so gives a money r

The reason is because they setup their company legal structures to avoid paying tax, either in France or the US. Then the US every decade or so gives a money repatriation tax amnesty, effectively providing huge subsidies to US firms dodging all these taxes. So the government decided to setup a new tax they couldn't. Can't really blame them.