Billionaire Elon Musk’s companies SpaceX and Tesla have submitted letters to the US Trade Representative, expressing concerns over the impact of Trump administration tariff policies.
The two companies, led by Musk, are pushing back against tariffs imposed on China, Mexico, and Canada. Tesla warned that these tariffs would harm its bottom line due to increased costs from duties imposed by other countries on US-made products in retaliation. SpaceX complained that trade barriers abroad increase operating costs for its Starlink internet satellite service, while foreign competitors face no such costs.
The letters were submitted as part of an effort to slash federal government spending and employee head count at the behest of President Trump. The US Trade Representative’s office has received over 700 responses to a public comment on “unfair trade practices by other countries.”
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/14/elon-musks-spacex-tesla-lobby-trump-trade-rep-on-tariffs.html