SpaceX asks Taiwanese suppliers to move production overseas due to geopolitical risks

Elon Musk SpaceX asked Taiwanese suppliers to move production off the island, resulting in the relocation of parts of their supply chain, according to sources working with and close to the equipment makers and corporate documents.

Source from a company that is one of the many subcontractors that supply components to SpaceX. Starlink Satellite Internet Products said SpaceX has asked its manufacturers to produce products outside Taiwan due to geopolitical risks, pushing at least one to move production to Vietnam.

A second source who works with Taiwanese satellite component makers on the island said SpaceX has directly asked suppliers to move production overseas.

Chin-Poon Industrial, a satellite components maker that said it was a recent supplier to SpaceX, told Reuters the US company had asked to move its production from Taiwan to Thailand for new orders “mainly due to geopolitical considerations”. It didn’t specify.

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX. Photo: Reuters

The sources declined to be identified because the information was not public. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.