Trump's comrade-in-arms Musk was affected by the tariff war, and Tesla warned that it may face the risk of retaliatory tariffs

Tesla, the leader of electric vehicles in the United States, recently warned that major U.S. exporters, including the company, may face retaliatory tariffs from other countries due to President Donald Trump's trade tariff policy. Tesla's statement echoes the concerns of many U.S. businesses, but is particularly interesting because of the company's close ties to the Trump administration.

Tesla is involved in government decision-making, and the issue of tariffs is in the spotlight

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been a close ally of the Trump administration and even heads DOGE, the White House's government efficiency arm, which pushes for federal government streamlining. However, Tesla's public expression of concern about the tariff policy shows that the policy may have an impact on American companies, even those with good relations with the government.

Tesla expressed this position in a letter to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The letter, published on Tuesday (March 12) and made public on the government's website, is one of hundreds of letters from companies on U.S. trade policy. However, the letter was not signed and only printed on Tesla company letterhead.

Tesla: U.S. companies fear retaliatory tariffs

In the letter, Tesla stressed that the U.S. government's trade policy should proceed with caution so as not to "inadvertently harm U.S. businesses." The company noted that U.S. businesses tend to be "asymmetrically affected" by other countries' tariff actions against the U.S., which is particularly severe for exporters.

"Past U.S. trade actions have typically triggered immediate retaliation from affected countries, such as raising import tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs)," Tesla said in the letter. This means that if the U.S. government takes another aggressive trade tariff measure, it may damage the competitiveness of Tesla and other exporters in overseas markets.

Trump plans to introduce new tariffs in April

Based on current trade policy developments, the Trump administration is considering imposing major tariffs on globally produced cars and parts as early as April. Tesla warned in the letter that even as U.S. companies aggressively localize their supply chains, there are still some critical parts and components that are "difficult or impossible to obtain in the United States."

The company further suggested that trade policy should take a "step-by-step approach" to allow companies to prepare ahead of time and ensure smooth adjustments to supply chains and compliance measures. Tesla stressed that the impact of the trade war on global supply chains is far-reaching, and that governments should consider the actual operational needs of businesses, rather than pushing for high tariffs across the board.

Tesla's stance may influence policy direction

Tesla, as a representative of the US electric vehicle industry, will undoubtedly attract widespread attention to the tariff issue. With the Trump administration's upcoming new round of tariff adjustments on automobiles and parts, the game between the business community and the government will become more intense.

In the future, it remains to be seen whether the U.S. government will adjust policies based on corporate recommendations. However, Tesla's warning shows that even companies close to the government cannot ignore the risks that a trade war can bring.

This article by Trump's comrade-in-arms Musk was affected by the tariff war, Tesla warned: or will face the risk of retaliatory tariffs first appeared in chain news ABMedia.