At Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting, Warren Buffett didn’t hold back when discussing the impact of U.S. trade policy.
The legendary investor criticized the growing use of tariffs, calling them a strategic misstep that could damage the country’s economic ties and global influence.
Buffett expressed concern that the U.S. is steering toward isolation by adopting protectionist trade measures. He stressed that the path of global cooperation—through open markets and mutual exchange—remains far more beneficial than turning inward.
Buffett warned that when a nation begins shutting out international partners through tariffs, it risks more than just lost economic opportunities. “When you alienate billions abroad to satisfy a few million at home,” he said, “you weaken your foundation for long-term prosperity.”
He argued that trade, when done right, plays a crucial role in economic stability and peace. But when used as leverage or a weapon, it invites unnecessary friction between nations. According to him, the healthiest economies are those that specialize and collaborate, not retreat behind barriers.
The investor’s remarks echo long-standing concerns among economists that protectionism could destabilize global supply chains and stoke geopolitical tensions. Some experts, such as economist Steve Hanke, have even suggested that such policies heighten the risk of a recession, drawing parallels to the trade policies that deepened the Great Depression nearly a century ago.
Buffett’s message was clear: competing in the global marketplace requires openness and trust, not walls and tariffs.
The trade standoff between the U.S. and China took a sharp turn on Friday after President Donald Trump accused Beijing of breaching a recently struck economic agreement.
Despite growing concerns over America’s swelling budget deficit, Citigroup’s U.S. equity strategist Scott Chronert believes the situation could bring short-term gains to the broader economy—even if it comes at a cost to market valuations.
Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, is sounding a dire alarm over what he describes as the beginning of financial chaos in the U.S.—a scenario he believes will wipe out millions financially.
Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya is sounding the alarm over a new piece of legislation that he believes could accelerate America’s financial decline.