Some countries have turned to the satellite internet firm in preparation for trade talks, State Department staffers wrote. The U.S. has a strategic interest in countering Chinese internet providers, but Musk’s role complicates the picture.

India, Lesotho, Bangladesh, and other countries have moved forward with Starlink adoption in recent weeks.

The United States is leveraging tariff negotiations to secure foreign regulatory approvals for Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service, according to internal State Department documents obtained by The Washington Post.