Tech-billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk made direct yet unsuccessful appeals to US President Donald Trump to reverse tariffs over the past weekend, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The White House and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Musk, a Trump adviser who has been working to eliminate wasteful US public spending, called for zero tariffs between the US and Europe during a virtual interaction at a Congress in Florence of Italyโs right-wing, co-ruling League Party over the weekend.
Tesla has seen its quarterly sales drop sharply amid a backlash against Muskโs work with a new โDepartment of Government Efficiency.โ The companyโs shares are trading at US$233.29 as of its last close on Monday, down over 42 per cent since the beginning of the year.
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US tariff storm disrupts global business expansions, but some see opportunities
US tariff storm disrupts global business expansions, but some see opportunities
Musk has previously said that the impact of US President Donald Trumpโs auto tariffs on Tesla is โsignificant.โ