SpaceX has appealed to the US government to eliminate trade barriers hindering the operation of Starlink's satellite communication in foreign countries.
Challenges Faced by Starlink
According to Reuters, SpaceX sent a letter to the US Trade Representative Office, describing the barriers as a 'protectionist non-tariff trade barrier.' The company has to pay additional fees to foreign governments for Starlink's spectrum access, artificially inflating international operational costs.
SpaceX's Response to Trade Barriers
In the letter, Matt Dunn, SpaceX's senior director for global government affairs, noted that 'foreign operators have used these anti-competitive policies to block or slow SpaceX from providing a better quality and lower cost service.'
Parallels with Tesla
Tesla also sent a letter to the USTR, emphasizing the importance of considering the downstream impacts of trade restrictions. In its letter to Jamieson Greer, Tesla highlighted the need to consider the implications of actions aimed at addressing unfair trade practices.
These appeals from SpaceX and Tesla underscore the current challenges faced by US companies in international markets. Elon Musk's companies are intensifying efforts to overcome these barriers.
