Electric car company Tesla is asking President Donald Trump’s administration to “consider the downstream impacts” of retaliatory tariffs in Trump’s trade war with multiple countries.
The March 11 letter to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, which is reportedly unsigned but on the company letterhead, warned that Trump’s tariffs ― including a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum from Canada ― could negatively impact Tesla and other U.S. companies.
“U.S. exporters are inherently exposed to disproportionate impacts when other countries respond to U.S. trade actions,” Tesla said in the letter. “For example, past trade actions by the United States have resulted in immediate reactions by the targeted countries, including increased tariffs on EVs imported into those countries.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk hasn’t mentioned the letter as of Friday afternoon, but the billionaire has been close to Trump’s side since heading up the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which has overseen the firings of thousands of federal workers.
Auto Drivers Of America, a trade group representing foreign automakers, also warned that “broad-based tariffs will disrupt production at U.S. assembly plants.”
In response to Trump putting a 20% tariff on Chinese imports, China announced earlier this week it was setting a 15% tax on American farm products like pork, beef and chicken. Trump has also threatened a 200% tariff on European wine after the European Union moved ahead with a planned 50% tariff on American whiskey.
Tesla’s stock has also nosedived in recent weeks. And on Tuesday, Trump paraded several Teslas outside the White House in a bid to convince his supporters to buy the electric car. Trump said it was “very unfair” that the markets “want to penalize” Musk for his work with DOGE.