Musk personally asked Trump to reconsider new tariffs - Reports

MOSCOW: The head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk personally asked US President Donald Trump to reconsider new US tariffs on imports from a number of countries, the Washington Post reported, citing two sources, according to Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

The publication reported that over the weekend, when Elon Musk unleashed a stream of messages on social media criticising one of the White House's top advisers, trade aide Peter Navarro, for Trump's aggressive tariff plan, he personally approached the president.

The attempt, however, has not yet been successful: Trump on Monday threatened to add new 50 per cent tariffs on imports from China on top of those already announced if Beijing did not abandon its retaliatory measures, the newspaper said.

On Sunday, Musk announced his support for the creation of a free trade area with the EU, despite President Trump's previously imposed trade tariffs against the union.

The US President signed an executive order on April 2 introducing "reciprocal" tariffs on imports from other countries, calling it a "liberation". The basic minimum rate will be 10 per cent, and 20 per cent for goods from the European Union. The US President promised budget revenue from tariffs of US$6-US$7 trillion.

-- BERNAMA