Warren Buffett adamantly opposes tariffs, calling them economic weapons that backfire spectacularly. At Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 annual meeting, he pointed out how trade restrictions strain international relations and destabilize markets unnecessarily. History shows tariffs create real enemies and leave everyone worse off. The Oracle of Omaha believes America thrives when nations specialize and trade freely – not when they’re busy slapping each other with economic penalties. There’s much more to this story than meets the wallet.
While most billionaires are busy counting their money, Warren Buffett is sounding the alarm on America’s trade war.
The Oracle of Omaha didn’t mince words at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting in May 2025, where he bluntly stated that “trade should not be a weapon.”
At Berkshire’s annual gathering, Buffett firmly declared that nations must stop wielding trade as an economic weapon against rivals.
In front of 40,000 attendees, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Buffett made it clear that tariffs are doing more harm than good.
Buffett, the world’s fifth-richest man at the time, warned that tariffs “can be an act of war” and have historically “led to bad things.”
Rather than celebrating economic victories at others’ expense, he argued that America should focus on what it does best – and let other countries do the same.
Despite operating earnings decreasing 14% to $9.6 billion, Buffett remained steadfast in his criticism of protectionist policies.
It’s not rocket science, folks.
When countries specialize and trade freely, everyone wins.
The economic impact of these tariffs isn’t pretty.
Markets are destabilized, international relations are strained, and unnecessary uncertainty looms over the global economy.
The international trade agreements between nations significantly influence domestic economic performance, making tariffs even more problematic.
Buffett, who confirmed his retirement as Berkshire’s CEO by the end of 2025, emphasized that prosperity isn’t a zero-sum game.
When other nations thrive, America thrives too.
Simple as that.
But there’s more at stake than just dollars and cents.
Buffett cautioned against the dangers of having “7.5 billion people who don’t like you very well” – a stark reminder that trade wars create real enemies.
The current protectionist policies, he argued, contradict America’s historical economic strengths and repeat mistakes we should have learned from long ago.
Looking back at America’s transformation from an agricultural society, Buffett reflected on how the country has often fallen short of its ideals.
Yet rather than learning from these missteps, we’re watching history repeat itself through harmful trade policies.
His message was crystal clear: balanced trade benefits everyone, while tariffs and trade wars leave everyone worse off. Period.
