MUSK SPEAKS OUT IN FAVOUR OF TRANSATLANTIC FREE TRADE

 ROME, April 6 (Bernama-dpa) -- US presidential adviser Elon Musk has spoken in favour of a tariff-free transatlantic free trade area, hours after President Donald Trump's new sweeping global tariffs came into effect, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

 Speaking via video link at a conference of Italy's right-wing League party in Florence late on Saturday, the head of the electric carmaker Tesla said he hoped that the US and Europe could agree on an even closer partnership than before.

"I'm hopeful... with the tariffs, that, at the end of the day, I hope, it is agreed that both Europe and the United States should move, ideally in my view, to a zero-tariff situation, effectively creating a free-trade zone between Europe and North America," Musk said.

Earlier on Saturday, the US government introduced universal tariffs of a minimum of 10 per cent on imports from all countries, which had been announced by Trump earlier in the week.

Significantly higher punitive tariffs will apply for some countries, depending on trade deficits. Imports from Germany and other European Union countries to the US face new tariffs of 20 per cent starting Wednesday.

Trump has promised that the tariffs would bring back the "golden age" of the US. Following his Wednesday announcement, stocks plummeted worldwide.

Musk spoke for about 15 minutes at the party conference, answering questions from League chairman and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini. Before the German federal election, Musk was an outspoken supporter of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

On Sunday, Salvini will stand for re-election as Lega leader - as the lone candidate.

It is expected that other politicians from the right-wing populist spectrum will join in, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the leader of France's far-right National Rally, Jordan Bardella, and the head of the Spanish Vox party, Santiago Abascal.

-- BERNAMA-dpa