The US government is bringing up Starlink adoption in the midst of tariff trade talks with other countries, according to a report from The Washington Post. In recent weeks, several countries have moved forward with licensing the Elon Musk-owned satellite internet company,

Coincidences happen, of course. It’s just that, according to the Post, they’re happening pretty regularly right now with Starlink. Around the same time as the tariffs were being discussed and implemented, Starlink also struck deals to provide service in parts of Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Pakistan, Somalia, and Vietnam.

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.