Elon Musk's Boring Company has asked the US Government to drop planned levies on imports of certain Chinese parts, claiming that they could harm its business.

Musk launched the Boring Company in 2016 after becoming frustrated by traffic congestion in Los Angeles. The firm plans to build tunnels beneath major cities to speed up transport links for commuters.

It has already won a bid to develop a tunnel in Chicago and is planning to build another from Washington to Maryland. However, in a letter seen by Bloomberg, the firm said that US tariffs on Chinese imports would slow down construction projects because of the impact on key components.

The firm is one of a variety companies affected by a looming trade war between the US and China with Washington DC planning to slap a 25pc tariff on $200bn worth of Chinese goods. Economists have warned that a currency war will be inevitable if the US goes through with its proposal.

The changes, which were first imposed on $34bn of Chinese imports in July, have increased during an ongoing standoff between Donald Trump and China's president Xi Jinping.

On Thursday, the Boring Company announced its latest project: a plan to build a zero-emissions, underground public transport system in Los Angeles called the "Dugout Loop".