· Government action
Cables show State Department pushed countries facing US tariffs to approve Starlink, Washington Post reports
What he said or did
The Washington Post reported that State Department cables showed US embassies pressing countries to clear regulatory hurdles for satellite companies, often mentioning Starlink by name,
and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio increasingly instructed officials to push for approvals as the White House sought trade deals (Reuters).
Background
The Post cited Lesotho's licence after a 50% tariff announcement and reported that Indian officials saw approving Starlink as an important lubricant to smooth the deal
; it also said SpaceX had at least partial agreements in Somalia, DR Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam (Washington Post).
Official response
The State Department said Every patriotic American should want to see American companies succeed on the world stage,
referring to weaker Chinese competitors
(Washington Post).
Fact-checks and findings
According to the Post, the documents did not show the administration explicitly demanding favours for Starlink in exchange for lower tariffs (Reuters).
Sources
- The Washington Post7 May 2025
- Reuters (via Cyprus Mail)7 May 2025
This entry records what was publicly said or done, as reported by the sources above. Quotes are attributed to the person who made them.
