The government of Donald Trump pressured countries affected by U.S. tariffs to allow the operation of the satellite company Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. Internal messages from the Executive showed that U.S. embassies and the Department of State urged nations like Lesotho, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh to remove barriers for satellite companies, especially Starlink, which have been affected by high trade tariffs.
The documents did not explicitly state that Washington demanded favors in exchange for reducing tariffs, but they revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed officials to push for regulatory approvals for Starlink amid broader trade talks. In the case of Lesotho, following the announcement of reciprocal tariffs, the African country signed a 10-year contract with Starlink for the first satellite internet service in the nation.
The Washington Post consulted sources close to the trade negotiations between India and the U.S., who considered that while these pressures are not explicitly mentioned, they could facilitate an agreement. For its part, the Republic of Congo, with a 10% tariff, recently agreed to grant permission to Starlink, thus joining the African countries where Musk's company operates.
This support for Starlink aligns with U.S. efforts to compete globally in the telecommunications market and would bolster Trump, whose key ally leads the Department of Government Efficiency and financially supported his 2024 presidential campaign.