Elon Musk has a new sales force working on his behalf: the U.S. diplomatic corps. Foreign governments are hearing from workers at the State Department that helping Starlink, a satellite internet service, to do business in their countries might help them get around tariffs imposed by President Trump.
The kicker: Starlink is owned by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace company. Government communications reviewed by the Washington Post apparently show that Secretary of State Marco Rubio “has increasingly instructed” officials at the State Department to help Starlink by “push[ing] for regulatory approvals for Musk’s satellite firm.” In essence, the law that gives presidents the power to impose ‘emergency’ tariffs has been invoked to manufacture leverage that Trump and Musk can use against foreign governments.
Faced with a 50% tariff on exports to the U.S., the southern African nation of Lesotho gave Starlink a 10-year license to operate in the country, and expressed hope that its move “demonstrates goodwill and intent to welcome U.S. businesses.” Several other countries have moved to ink deals or licenses with Starlink since Trump was sworn in — Including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, although the Post notes that “this is probably not a comprehensive count.”
So, folks: are we really risking U.S. jobs and rising costs so Musk can get more deals for his businesses?
- U.S. pushes nations facing tariffs to approve Musk’s Starlink, cables show [The Washington Post]