The U.S. government is highlighting the adoption of Starlink during ongoing tariff trade discussions with other nations, as reported by The Washington Post. In recent weeks, several countries—including India, Somalia, Lesotho, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Vietnam—have taken steps to approve the satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk.
Internal communications reviewed by The Post indicate that the U.S. embassies and the State Department are actively advocating for the acceptance of American satellite internet services like Starlink. While these messages do not explicitly link the adoption of Starlink to lower tariffs, they reveal that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been increasingly directing officials to support regulatory approvals for Musk’s satellite company.
According to The Post, sources have indicated that Indian government officials hurried to obtain regulatory approval for Starlink, believing this move could strengthen trade agreements with the U.S. administration. This week, India approved Starlink’s proposal, bringing it closer to launching its services in the country.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai stated to The Post that the Trump administration’s trade negotiations focus solely on what benefits the American populace, which includes the success of American companies both domestically and internationally. President Donald Trump emphasized he would "not tolerate any conflicts of interest." The State Department added that “any patriotic American should want to see an American company succeed globally, especially in comparison to compromised Chinese competitors.” SpaceX did not respond to The Verge for comments.
