Musk photo op not enough to avert Trump tariffs, auto powerhouse Slovakia braces for impact

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is getting flak from opposition leaders for failing to avert U.S. car tariffs hanging over his country, a major automotive producer in Europe. The political attack came after President Donald Trump’s decision to slap a 25% levy on all foreign-made cars next month.

During a working trip to the U.S. in February, Fico met with the head of the U.S. Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Tesla owner Elon Musk. They discussed Washington’s intentions to impose tariffs on European goods, including cars built in the EU where Slovakia is a leading manufacturer. Fico’s opponents say the photo op with Musk hasn’t helped their country dodge the hit.

Slovakia to be among EU nations most affected by U.S. car tariffs

The small Central European nation of Slovakia, which boasts the world’s highest number of vehicles made per capita, is bracing for the impact of President Donald Trump’s upcoming massive tariffs on passenger cars imported into the United States.

Government officials are deeply worried about the consequences for the country’s economy which is heavily reliant on the automotive sector, one of its key drivers. It produces around a million units each year and employs some 200,000 people from a population of a little over 5 million.

“We still hope that the tariffs will be postponed somehow – just like in the case of Mexico and China. If they are not postponed, we will have to deal with it somehow,” Minister of Economy Denisa Saková was quoted by Euractiv as stating during a press briefing in Bratislava.

Saková, who also serves as a deputy prime minister in Robert Fico’s current cabinet, warned that Slovakia would be among the top three most affected EU member states, if the U.S. administration proceeds with its plan to levy the tariffs next month.

On Wednesday, President Trump announced that Washington is going to tax “all cars that are not made in the United States,” signing the respective order in the White House. The sweeping 25% tariffs will be imposed on April 2 with collections beginning the following day.

Major auto makers maintain facilities in Slovakia, including Stellantis, formed with the merger of Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and French giant PSA Group. Germany’s Volkswagen Group as well as Kia Motors and Jaguar Land Rover are also operating there while Volvo is building a new plant for electric vehicles (EVs). Two of these manufacturers export to the U.S., Saková noted.

According to data quoted by the European Commission in January, Slovak production dropped in 2024 to 993,000 units, down from 1.08 million in 2023. The executive body stressed, however, that “forecasts for 2025 signal a rebound, projecting output could reach 1.15 million vehicles.” It highlighted that Slovakia remains a global leader in per capita production, with over 180 units per 1,000 inhabitants.

Political opponents take aim at Slovak premier for ‘photo op’ with Musk

Slovakia’s economic minister also told reporters that if the U.S. tariffs come into force eventually, Bratislava will have to wait for EU retaliatory tariffs and see what European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič, a Slovak diplomat, will manage to negotiate.

Opposition parties, too, expressed their concerns about the hit the Slovak economy is likely to take. The liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) and the center-right Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) called on the government to work closely with Brussels in support of efforts to prevent escalation of the trade war with the United States.

Robert Fico, Slovakia’s longest-serving prime minister who is now at the helm of a leftist-nationalist coalition led by his Direction – Social Democracy (Smer) party, was attacked by political opponents for failing to avert the tariffs.

Last month, Fico travelled to the U.S. where he met with Elon Musk, who heads the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration, and reportedly tried to lobby against the car levies.

“Fico ran to the U.S. after meeting with Putin, just to take a photo with Musk. Although he told the public they were discussing tariffs, we see no result,” SaS leader Branislav Gröhling highlighted.

Criticism came from non-parliamentary opposition as well: “Robert Fico has completely missed the mark. For months, he’s been focusing on issues that are irrelevant for Slovakia, while ignoring the most important thing – the automotive industry, the backbone of our economy,” former Prime Minister Eduard Heger from the Democrats party was quoted as stating.

Important to note that Tesla is NOT unscathed here. The tariff impact on Tesla is still significant.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2025

When announcing his car tariffs this week, President Trump insisted that Musk, who owns EV maker Tesla, has not advised him on the matter “because he may have a conflict.” The billionaire entrepreneur has been a key advisor to the U.S. head of state in his second term in the White House.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump told media that his tariffs “could be net neutral or they may be good” for Tesla, which has plants in Texas and California. Later, Musk himself took to X to make it clear that Tesla will be significantly impacted by the new U.S. policy.

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