According to Reuters, U.S. electric car maker Tesla has issued a warning that the company and other major U.S. exporters may face countermeasures, which may be a response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy.
Trump is considering imposing high tariffs on global automobiles and parts in early April. In response, Tesla warned that even if the supply chain is highly localized, it is still difficult or even impossible to purchase some key components in the United States. Tesla calls on the U.S. government to adopt a phased implementation strategy to gain time for companies to adjust their supply chains and take compliance measures.
Tesla said in a letter to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on March 11: “The U.S. unilateral tariffs could lead to disproportionate countermeasures from trading partners. For example, past U.S. trade actions immediately triggered reactions from target countries, including raising import tariffs on U.S. electric vehicles.”
Meanwhile, Tesla said in the letter: “As a U.S. automaker and exporter, Tesla hopes that the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office considers the downstream impact of certain proposed actions aimed at addressing unfair trade practices.”
Tesla pointed out that it is important to ensure that the Trump administration’s efforts to resolve trade issues “do not inadvertently hurt the United States.” The company said it hopes to avoid countermeasures similar to those in previous trade disputes, which have triggered countries affected by U.S. tariffs to immediately raise tariffs on imported electric vehicles, etc.
The letter from Tesla reflects concerns among many U.S. companies about Trump’s tariff policies. It is not clear who the author of the letter is. Although the letter is not signed, it uses company letter paper.
Tesla has not immediately responded to a request for comment in response to the above report. It is worth noting that Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as a close ally of Trump, is leading the U.S. White House to reduce the size of the federal government.
In addition, the trade organization “Autos Drive America”, a foreign-funded automaker such as Toyota, Volkswagen Group, BMW Group, Honda and Hyundai, also warned in a separate comment from the Office of the United States Trade Representative that the widespread tariff increase will disrupt domestic production lines in the United States.
Autos Drive America added: “Auto manufacturers are unable to adjust their supply chains overnight, and increased costs will inevitably lead to higher consumer prices, fewer models available to consumers and closure of production lines in the United States, leading to potential loss of jobs across the supply chain.”