Business titan and “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary is calling for President Donald Trump to go even further in his crackdown on China, arguing that the recently announced 125% tariff on Chinese imports doesn’t go nearly far enough. According to O’Leary, the correct number is 400%.
In a fiery interview, O’Leary didn’t hold back. “China has been stealing intellectual property, violating trade agreements, and thumbing its nose at the world for decades,” he said. “It’s time to squeeze Chinese heads into the wall now. A 125% tariff is a good start—but it should be 400%.”
The Trump administration recently raised tariffs on Chinese goods as part of its broader “Liberation Day” economic strategy, hitting Beijing with the highest penalties yet for its refusal to engage in fair trade. While many business leaders praised the move, O’Leary believes it still underestimates the leverage the U.S. holds.
“China’s economy depends on the U.S. consumer. We hold all the cards,” he said. “If we hit them with a 400% tariff, they’ll be begging to come to the table. That’s the only way they’ll take us seriously.”
O’Leary’s remarks reflect a growing sentiment among business leaders and trade hawks who believe China has been given too much room to operate without consequence. He pointed to years of broken promises, continued intellectual property theft, and refusal to comply with World Trade Organization rules.
The message: appeasement has failed—now it’s time for strength.
His view aligns with comments from other prominent figures, including billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who recently called China a “bad actor” and urged Beijing to cut a deal with Trump. “Trump’s tough, but he’s fair,” Ackman said. “If China wants stability, they’ll talk.”
Not everyone in the financial world is on board. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and others have warned against aggressive protectionist moves, arguing that they could disrupt supply chains and hurt U.S. consumers. But for economic nationalists like O’Leary, that argument is tired and outdated.
“American workers and companies have been getting crushed for years,” O’Leary said. “Trump’s the first president with the guts to do something real about it. We’ve got momentum—now we just need to turn up the heat.”
As Trump continues to press forward with his America First trade agenda, voices like O’Leary’s are making it clear: 125% is strong, but 400% is what it’ll take to finally bring China to heel.
104% tariffs on China are not enough. I’m advocating 400%. I do business with China. They don’t play by the rules. They’ve been in the WTO for decades. They have never abided by any of the rules they agreed to when they came in for decades. They cheat, they steal, they steal IP.… pic.twitter.com/iotEgmNQrr
— Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) April 9, 2025
The post Kevin O’Leary Says Trump Going Easy On China: Tariff Should Be 400%! appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
