Tesla warns White House that US car makers “exposed” to discriminatory tariffs over new import policies

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is one of US President Donald Trump's most loyal supporters, yet his direct involvement in the White House administration does not stop his companies from worrying about for the unintended effects of the administration's aggressive trade measures. 

His EV automotive company, Tesla has reached out to the Trump administration through an unsigned letter in which it warns that it the company is “exposed” to retaliatory tariffs from other nations.

The letter was uploaded by an associate general counsel at Tesla, Miriam Eqab, to the US trade representative website, Caliber.Az reports citing American media.

In it,  the car maker urged caution to prevent policies that could “inadvertently harm US companies” seeing as Tesla still depends on its supply chains on imports.

In the unsigned letter addressed to US trade representative Jamieson Greer, dated March 11, Tesla warned that “U.S. exporters are inherently exposed to disproportionate impacts when other countries respond to US trade actions.”

Tesla specifically pointed to past trade policies that triggered swift retaliatory measures. “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,” the company stated in the letter.

It also highlighted concerns about supply chain disruptions, emphasizing that “certain parts and components are difficult or impossible to source within the United States.”

While many US business leaders have voiced similar concerns about Trump’s aggressive trade tariffs, Tesla’s warning carries particular weight given its close ties to the administration. CEO Elon Musk has played a key role in Trump’s government, serving as the face of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after having actively campaigned for Trump in 2024 and donated over $300 million to his reelection.

The Financial Times has cited a person familiar with the letter’s submission who called the document "a polite way to say that the bipolar tariff regime is screwing over Tesla," highlighting that the letter was sent unsigned because nobody at Tesla "wants to be fired for sending it.”

By Nazrin Sadigova