How Tesla Is Skirting the China Trade War

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By Chris Lange Updated Published
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How Tesla Is Skirting the China Trade War

© Courtesy of Tesla

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA | TSLA Price Prediction) shares made a handy gain on Friday after it was announced that the electric vehicle firm would be exempt from China’s 10% purchase tax on auto sales. In a sense, this is circumventing trade tensions with the United States. Note that this came after CEO Elon Musk visited the People’s Republic.

This exemption is usually reserved for domestic electric vehicle manufacturers, but in this case it applies to all Tesla’s sold within China.

Musk made a two-day visit to China for the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, where he debated Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma onstage. Musk also talked with local authorities and toured a new gigafactory. Finally, Musk met with China’s Minister of Transportation.

This tax exemption could partially offset retaliatory tariffs that may be put on Teslas and other U.S.-built cars later this year. Last week China announced that it would increase tariffs on American autos to a total of 40% in mid-December in response to the Trump administration.

[nativounit]

Reuters said about the Tesla tax exemption:

China’s concession to one of America’s most high-profile companies comes amid heightened uncertainty as to where the trade war between the two countries is headed. A week ago, President Donald Trump ordered U.S. companies to immediately begin looking for alternatives to China, only to later suggest that tensions were cooling.

Shares of Tesla traded up about 3% on Friday, at $228.91 in a 52-week range of $176.99 to $379.49. The consensus price target is $248.50.

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Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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