Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk on Saturday laid out his hopes for the future of trade between the United States and Europe, saying that he wanted to see complete freedom of trade between the transatlantic allies.
Musk’s remarks come days after US President Donald Trump announced sweeping measures that saw tariffs of at least 10 percent on most countries of the world, including those in Europe.He spoke via video-link at a congress in Florence of Italy’s right-wing, co-ruling League Party.
“At the end of the day, I hope it’s agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America,” Reuters quoted Musk as saying.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO was being interviewed by the League party leader, Matteo Salvini. He said he also hoped to see greater freedom of movement between Europe and the United States.
“If people wish to work in Europe or wish to work in North America, they should be allowed to do so in my view,” Musk said, adding that this “has certainly been my advice to the president.”
Under Trump’s plans announced on Wednesday, Italy, which has a large trade surplus with the United States, will be subject to a general tariff of 20 percent along with other European Union countries.
Elon Musk’s support for the European right wing
Elon Musk, who emerged as one of the biggest backers of Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign in the US last year, has repeatedly expressed support for various right-wing parties across Europe.
He campaigned for Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in the recent German national election and has also voiced his support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party.
Musk has been close in the past to Italy’s rightist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party, and has also expressed support for Matteo Salvini’s League party.
Both groups have a hard-right agenda based on law-and-order, tax cuts, and cracking down on irregular immigration.
Musk last month expressed gratitude to Salvini after the League chief said Italy should pick his Starlink company to obtain a system for satellite communications.
Italy’s Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, who is from the League, said earlier on Saturday the government wanted “de-escalation” with the US following Trump’s tariff announcement, and warned against imposing retaliatory tariffs. Meloni, on the other hand, had called the tariff measures ‘bad’.
