Elon Musk opposes US tariffs on Chinese EVs

PARIS -- Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said he opposed US tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).

"Neither Tesla nor I asked for these tariffs," Musk said Thursday when answering audience questions via video link during VivaTech, an annual technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups in Paris.

"In fact, I was surprised when they (the tariffs) were announced," said Musk when asked about the Biden administration's decision to raise tariffs on imported EVs from China to 100 percent.

"Tesla competes quite well in the Chinese market, with no tariffs and no deferential support. In general, I am in favor of no tariffs," he said. "Things that inhibit freedom of exchange or distort the market are not good."

Tesla broke ground on a mega factory in Shanghai on Thursday to manufacture its energy-storage batteries, Megapacks, a project hailed by the company as a "milestone."

The mega factory is the first of its kind built by Tesla outside the United States and the second plant of the company in Shanghai, following the inauguration of its gigafactory in 2019 with an initial investment of over 50 billion yuan (about 7 billion US dollars).