Components face high tariffs Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US)'s production plans for Cybercab and Semi electric trucks are disrupted.

According to a well-informed source, due to President Trump's high tariffs on Chinese goods, Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US) has been forced to suspend its plans to transport Cybercab electric taxis and Semi electric truck components from China to the United States. This move could disrupt Tesla, Inc.'s plan to start mass production of these highly anticipated vehicle models. Musk has been promoting these as a major innovation that will drive growth for Tesla, Inc. The source revealed that Tesla, Inc. had initially planned to absorb the additional costs brought by the Trump administration's initial 34% tariff, but was forced to halt the transportation plans when the tariff rate exceeded that level. On April 9, Trump raised the tariff to 84%, and later further increased it to 125%, resulting in a total tariff of 145% on Chinese exports to the US. Under the original plan, Tesla, Inc. was set to receive components in the coming months, with the goal of starting trial production of the two models in October. The Cybercab was to be produced at a factory in Texas, while the Semi electric truck was to be manufactured at a factory in Nevada, with mass production planned for 2026. It is currently unclear how long the transportation interruption will last. Two sources disclosed that, given the possibility of additional tariffs being imposed on China by the US, Tesla, Inc. has gradually increased its purchases of North American components for its US factories over the past two years. Trump announced at the White House on Monday that he is considering adjusting the 25% tariffs on cars and components from Mexico, Canada, and other countries, which could increase the cost of individual vehicles by thousands of dollars. He stated that car manufacturers "will need some more time because they will be manufacturing in the US." Tesla, Inc. is advancing its Cybercab Siasun Robot&Automation taxi service and planning to apply for operational permits from government departments. The concept car unveiled in October last year eliminated the steering wheel and pedals, promising to start production of a two-door model priced at less than $30,000 by 2026. At the same time, the company plans to ramp up production of the Semi electric truck in 2026 to accelerate delivery of backlogged orders to customers like PepsiCo, Inc. This business obstruction underscores how Trump's tariff policy of "promoting domestic production" has backfired on political ally Musk. The entrepreneur, who frequently posts on the social networking platform X in support of free trade and against tariffs, was recently reported to have privately pleaded with Trump to revoke global tariffs. Last week, media reports revealed that Musk had shown Trump a video illustrating the dangers of trade barriers stemming from global supply chain dependencies. Furthermore, due to China's retaliatory 125% tariffs on US goods, Tesla, Inc. has stopped accepting new orders for Model S and Model X. A February report by S&P Global, Inc. showed that the US market accounts for about 15%-20% of the value of Chinese automotive component exports in recent years. The White House has stated that Musk is currently overseeing reforms in the US administration, which have led to the layoffs of thousands of government employees.