Warren Buffett: U.S.-China trade war would be 'bad for the whole world'
Warren Buffett said on Monday that a trade war between the United States and China would be “bad for the whole world.”
Buffett spoke after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that he will raise tariffs on 200 billion U.S. dollars of Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent beginning on Friday.
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Major stock markets fell worldwide on Monday in response to the tweet, which preceded scheduled trade talks this week, and was a “rational” response, Buffett said on CNBC television.
Buffett's conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc owns or invests in many companies that do business in China, including Apple Inc, in which it has a more than 50-billion-U.S.-dollar stake, and Chinese electric car maker BYD Co.
“If we actually have a trade war it will be bad for the whole world,” Buffett said.
A full-scale trade war is unlikely, he said, but “would be bad for everything Berkshire owns.”
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett walks through the exhibition hall as shareholders gather to hear from the billionaire investor at Berkshire Hathaway Inc's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 4, 2019. /Reuters Photo
Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, also speaking on CNBC, said Trump was not “totally crazy” for wanting higher tariffs on some goods, but that a trade war would be “massively stupid.”
Despite the concerns, Buffett said it would be “nonsense” for investors to sell stocks based on negative headlines, adding that the United States and China will be the world's superpowers for the next 100 years and will always have tensions.
He also said the battle would not affect how Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire operates.
The company owns more than 90 companies including utilities, makers of industrial parts and chemicals, Geico auto insurance and Dairy Queen ice cream, and ended March with 191.8 billion U.S. dollars of equity investments.
“We will buy the same stocks today that we were buying last week,” and would be “delighted” if a good Chinese business expressed interest in a Berkshire transaction, Buffett said.
Buffett said tough talk ahead of trade negotiations was understandable, saying that for some people “the best technique is to act half-crazy,” but it would be ineffective to “shake your fist first and then shake your finger later on.”
Buffett also said the United States should bolster its trade relations with Canada and Mexico.
“We've got lots and lots and lots of common interests,” he said. “Trade with Mexico and Canada is enormously important. We should treat them as neighbors, and not adversaries.”
Read more: Best world is where the U.S., China both prosper: Buffett