ROMA (Reuters) – US high-tech dimer Elon Musk said on Saturday that he hopes to see full trade freedom between the US and Europe.
Musk, an adviser to Trump, who has worked to eliminate wasted public US spending, spoke via video links at the Italian right-wing conspiracy league party in Florence.
“At the end of the day, I hope that both Europe and the US will ideally agree to move to a zero-custom situation in my view and effectively create a free trade area between Europe and North America,” Musk said.
Under Trump’s plan announced Wednesday, Italy, which has a massive trade surplus with the United States, will be subject to a general tariff of 20%, along with other European Union countries.
When interviewed Matteo Salvini, the league leader of Musk, who has repeatedly expressed support for right-wing parties across Europe, was also said he wants to see greater freedom of movement between Europe and the United States.
“If people want to work in Europe or work in North America, in my opinion they should be allowed to do so,” Musk said.
Musk, who has been approaching Italy’s correct Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her brother’s Italian Party in the past, has also expressed his support for Salvini’s league.
Both groups have a right-right agenda based on laws and orders, tax cuts and irregular immigration crackdowns.
Italian economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, a former league minister, said on Saturday that the government wanted to “abdicate” with the United States following Trump’s tariff announcement and warned against the imposition of retaliatory tariffs.
Musk expressed his gratitude to Salvini last month after the league chief said Italy should choose his Starlink company to acquire a system of satellite communications.
(Reporting by Gavin Jones, Additional Report by Angelo Amante, Editing by Barbara Lewis)
