Tesla Hit Directly By Trump's Tariffs…Cybercap·Semi Production Plans Disrupted

As a consequence of tariffs, Tesla faced production disruptions due to difficulty in procuring key components from China (Source: Reuters)

With President Donald Trump applying high tariffs on Chinese products, a major variable emerged in Tesla's new car production schedule. The import of key components intended for use in the autonomous electric taxi ‘Cybercap’ and the large electric truck ‘Semi’ was halted, rendering the U.S. production plan uncertain.

On the 16th (local time), Reuters reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, that Tesla halted the transport of parts it intended to import from China. When President Trump initially imposed a 34% tariff on Chinese products, Tesla planned to absorb some costs and proceed with production, but as tariffs increased to 84%, 125%, and 145%, procurement itself became challenging.

Due to the impact of these tariffs, not only was the test production of Cybercap, which was originally scheduled for October this year, delayed, but also the mass production schedule of the Semi truck, launched in 2022, became inevitably disrupted. Cybercap, a two-seater fully autonomous electric taxi without a steering wheel and pedals, was first unveiled in California last October, and the Semi is a high-performance commercial electric truck that was preparing for expanded deliveries to existing clients.

In recent years, Tesla has increased the proportion of North American parts in response to rising U.S.-China tensions, but there is still significant reliance on Chinese parts. The international credit rating agency S&P analyzed that China accounts for 15-20% of the total export of automobile parts to the U.S.

CEO Musk has not publicly expressed dissatisfaction with these tariff measures, but he indirectly emphasized the importance of the global supply chain by sharing a video on SNS highlighting that a product is completed by gathering components sourced worldwide. The Washington Post also reported that Musk personally requested President Trump to withdraw global tariffs.

President Trump announced that he is considering temporarily suspending tariffs across the automotive industry, stating, “We are considering actions to allow some companies time to relocate production bases.” The United States imposed a 25% tariff on imported cars from early this month, and tariffs on key parts are expected to come into effect next month.

The supply chain shock arising at a time when Tesla was seeking new growth in the global electric vehicle market is expected to influence not only a simple schedule delay but also significantly impact the cost structure and supply strategies of the U.S. electric vehicle industry in the future.