Billionaire and advisor to the US President Elon Musk said he hopes Europe and the US will agree to join a free trade area after US leader Donald Trump introduced high tariffs on European countries, AFP reported.

Trump's sweeping tariffs, announced earlier this week, sent global stocks plunging, unnerved allies and raised the likelihood that other countries - including possibly the European Union - would impose tariffs of their own.

The EU, which faces 20 percent tariffs, has already pledged to retaliate in a "calm, carefully phased and unified manner," said EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič.

"I hope that the United States and Europe can establish a very close partnership," Musk said in a video address to a gathering of Italy's hard-right League party.

“I hope there will be an agreement that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my opinion, to a zero-tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade area between Europe and North America,” he added in the video posted on Musk’s social media platform X by La Liga leader Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.

The billionaire said he advocates for "greater freedom for people to move between Europe and North America" ​​for work.

"That was absolutely my advice to the president," he added. I BGNES