Musk opposes U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs

On May 23, Tesla founder Elon Musk said he was taken aback by U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to impose 100 percent tariffs on imported Chinese electric vehicles.

"In fact, I was surprised when they (the Biden administration) announced (the tariffs). Tesla competes quite well in the market in China with no tariffs and no deferential support. So, in general, I'm in favor of no tariffs," said Elon Musk in response to a question on how he viewed the 100 percent tariff on imported Chinese electric vehicles to the United States at VivaTech 2024 conference, adding that, "I'm in favor of no tariffs and no incentives for electric vehicles, or for oil and gas."

Commenting on the U.S.' recent tariff hikes during the regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stressed that it is yet another mistake for the U.S. to continue politicizing trade issues and further increasing tariffs on Chinese products. He urged the U.S. to earnestly observe WTO rules and immediately cancel the additional tariffs on China.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce described the U.S.' move as "typical political manipulation" and asked the U.S. side to immediately rectify its wrongdoing.

Earlier, the World Trade Organization has already ruled that the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from China are inconsistent with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.