Elon Musk Opposes Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles

The founder of Tesla and billionaire innovator Elon Musk stated on Thursday in Paris that he opposes tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles aimed at boosting U.S. manufacturing. According to Reuters, Musk emphasized that he does not support market-distorting measures.

Earlier, U.S. President Joe Biden announced new tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles and batteries. “Neither Tesla nor I requested the imposition of those tariffs. I was actually surprised when it was announced. Anything that hinders free trade or distorts the market is not good,” Musk commented. He noted that Tesla is “competitively successful” in the Chinese market. “I am in favor of the absence of tariffs,” he added.

Musk spoke via video link at the annual Viva Technology conference held in Paris, attended by leading tech executives and political figures, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former U.S. climate envoy John Kerry.