3d ago

Tesla warns Trump administration it is ‘exposed’ to retaliatory tariffs

archive.today /2025.03.14-162138/https://www.ft.com/content/605295c5-dc8f-4247-ba35-8036b5058915

Oopsy, turns out there's consequences for working to elect a demented maniac!

Elon Musk’s electric-car maker Tesla has warned that President Donald Trump’s trade war could make it a target for retaliatory tariffs against the US and increase the cost of making vehicles in America.
In an unsigned letter addressed to US trade representative Jamieson Greer, Tesla said it “supports” fair trade but warned that US exporters were “exposed to disproportionate impacts when other countries respond to US trade actions”.

23 comments

I read that the steel for cyber trucks is sourced from a company in Finland. Hoping he gets the 25%!!
- AFAIK the only steel in Cybertrucks is their body. That’s not a lot. They could just change to making the whole “truck” out of aluminum. It’s already got a thin aluminum frame.
  
  Yes but it’s cold rolled steel. Not sure they will get that “bulletproof” quality from aluminum. Aluminum also subject to corrosion. Of course Elon didn’t use 304SS and his rusts. 🤷‍♀️
  
  yeah... about that aluminum. USA doesn't make very much of that anymore. FU Kaiser!
  
  Yeah but surviving the zombie apocalypse requires that tough stainless steel shell.

I mean, yes they're not entirely wrong. On the other hand, at this point it doesn't really matter anymore. No one's buying that shit even at current prices, increasing prices with tariffs can't really make that any worse IMO.
- Until Trump rolls out some subsidies, because it would probably be illegal if Tesla didn't make enough profit or something ...

At this point I think the leopards ate their own face.

I think between the boycotts in other countries, the boycotts in this country, the dipping resale values, the protests at dealers, the vandalism of vehicles, and the unexpected tariffs, Tesla is going to have an interesting year.
- Especially if the banks force Musk to dump billions of dollars in shares to pay his debt.
- Tesla is going to have an interesting year.
  A whole year? That sounds optimistic
  
  I mean, at this point you can pretty well bank on a government Elon bail out because "life's not fair," so yes.

It's hard to tariff something that nobody will buy.
- My wife is shopping for a new car right now and really wants an EV. There are Tesla's all around us going for 16k-25k and some of those 2023 or 2024s.
  Wild how we would've jumped on that a few years ago. Now I literally wouldn't drive one if it was given to me for free.
  
  Same here. I was looking to replace my almost decade old EV this year. Now I think I'll hold onto it a bit longer.