Elon Musk Urges Trump to Reverse Tariffs
(MENAFN) Tech billionaire Elon Musk made direct appeals to US President Donald Trump over the weekend, urging him to reconsider the tariffs, based on a report from a news agency.
Trump had previously introduced a baseline 10 percent tariff on all imports to the United States, along with higher "reciprocal" tariffs on specific trading partners, with China and the European Union included.
Musk’s attempts to influence the decision, which were verified by two sources, have not been successful so far.
On Monday, Trump escalated the situation by threatening to impose an additional 50 percent tariff on China, stacking it on top of the 34 percent "reciprocal" tariffs announced the previous week.
To reinforce his stance, Musk shared a footage on X featuring economist Milton Friedman, who explained the advantages of international trade by illustrating how materials for a simple pencil come from different parts of the world.
This ongoing disagreement between Musk and Trump over tariffs represents the "highest-profile disagreement" between the two.
On Saturday, Musk voiced his criticism of White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, a key figure behind the tariff strategy. Musk posted on X, stating, "A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing."
During an interview with Italian Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini on Saturday, Musk expressed a desire for a “zero-tariff” arrangement between the US and Europe, which he believes could "effectively create a free trade zone."
As the CEO of Tesla, Musk has been particularly concerned about the negative impact of tariffs on the company’s objectives, given its heavy reliance on both the US and China for manufacturing and sales.
Musk’s opposition to tariffs dates back to Trump’s first term when Tesla filed a lawsuit challenging tariffs on Chinese imports.
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