{"id":296795,"date":"2025-05-03T15:29:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T15:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/03\/trade-should-not-be-a-weapon-warren-buffett-warns-us-against-weaponizing-trade-at-2025-berkshire-agm-times-of-india\/"},"modified":"2025-05-03T15:29:13","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T15:29:13","slug":"trade-should-not-be-a-weapon-warren-buffett-warns-us-against-weaponizing-trade-at-2025-berkshire-agm-times-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/03\/trade-should-not-be-a-weapon-warren-buffett-warns-us-against-weaponizing-trade-at-2025-berkshire-agm-times-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Trade should not be a weapon’: Warren Buffett warns US against weaponizing trade at 2025 Berkshire AGM – Times of India"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Warren Buffett (File photo)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Warren Buffett<\/a> used the spotlight at the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting<\/a>to issue a pointed warning: \u201cTrade should not be a weapon.\u201d Reaffirming his globalist economic philosophy, the legendary investor defended his 2003 \u201cimport certificates\u201d idea while criticizing rising protectionist sentiments and tariffs, which he now views as acts of \u201ceconomic war.\u201d
Buffett\u2019s comments came in response to a shareholder question referencing his 2003 Fortune article, where he had proposed a trade-balancing mechanism involving import certificates.
Speaking to thousands gathered in Omaha, he clarified the distinction \u201cThe import certificates were distinct [from tariffs], but their goal was to balance imports against exports so that the trade deficit would not grow in an enormous way.\u201d
He emphasized that the core intent was to promote balanced global trade<\/a> while including safeguards to support developing economies:
\u201cThey had various other provisions in it to help third world countries\u2026 but basically, they were designed to balance trade.\u201d
While acknowledging that the plan gained little traction \u2014 even with his longtime partner Charlie Munger, who found the concept \u201ca little too much like Rube Goldberg\u201d \u2014 Buffett stood by the underlying principle:
\u201cYou can make very good arguments for the fact that balanced trade is good for the world\u2026 and the more balanced trade there is, the better.\u201d
Buffett reflected on America’s transformation from a purely agricultural economy into a global industrial power over the last 250 years. But he expressed concern about the growing use of trade policy<\/a> as a geopolitical tool, cautioning, \u201cThere\u2019s no question that trade can be an act of war. And I think it\u2019s led to bad things \u2014 just the attitudes it\u2019s brought out in the United States.\u201d
He warned of the risks of nationalism and economic triumphalism in a nuclear world:
\u201cWe want a prosperous world. With eight countries with nuclear weapons \u2014 including a few that are quite unstable \u2014 I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a great idea to design a world where a few countries say, \u2018Ha ha, we\u2019ve won.\u2019\u201d
Buffett underlined the importance of cooperation, suggesting that global prosperity would benefit the US, not hurt it:
\u201cThe more prosperous the rest of the world becomes, it won\u2019t be at our expense \u2014 the more prosperous we\u2019ll become. And the safer we\u2019ll feel, and your children will feel someday.\u201d
He joked that his proposal wouldn\u2019t be enshrined alongside economic classics like Adam Smith\u2019s Wealth of Nations, adding:
\u201cDon\u2019t expect my import certificate idea to go down there\u2026 but if anyone wants a copy, we\u2019ve probably got extras.\u201d
Buffett concluded by calling for a return to constructive trade relationships built on mutual benefit, not zero-sum competition.<\/div>\n