Some countries are working with the satellite internet company as part of trade tariff discussions, U.S. officials said. The U.S. wants to push back against Chinese internet companies, but Elon Musk’s involvement makes things more complicated.
According to Washington Post, President Donald Trump announced 50% trade tariffs on products from the small African country of Lesotho, the country’s telecom officials met with Starlink representatives. Since starting in Africa in 2023, Starlink has rolled out its service in 20 countries and plans to expand to 26 more by the end of 2026. The expansion of SpaceX’s Starlink internet services into these countries could become a major winner in Trump’s tariff-driven trade war.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which owns the satellite company, had been trying to offer its service in Lesotho. But it wasn’t until after Trump announced tariffs and pushed for trade talks that the country, home to about 2 million people, gave Musk’s company its first-ever license for satellite internet a deal set to last 10 years.
The State Department said in a statement: “Starlink is an American-made product that has been game-changing in helping remote areas around the world gain internet connectivity. Any patriotic American should want to see an American company’s success on the global stage, especially over compromised Chinese competitors.”
