Warren Buffett's Stance on Import Tariffs Raises Flags. But Don't Ignore His Words on Investing During Times of Market Turmoil.

1 week ago 6

Adria Cimino, The Motley Fool

Thu, Apr 3, 2025, 8:06 AM 5 min read

Investors often look to Warren Buffett during times of occupation due to the fact that the billionaire has been done conscionable astir each marketplace situation imaginable. And during the ups and downs, he's persisted, lasting by his pledge to bargain shares of prime companies for tenable prices and clasp connected for the agelong term. This has been a winning strategy, helping Buffett, astatine the caput of Berkshire Hathaway, present market-beating gains implicit 59 years.

Right present -- arsenic stocks tumble acknowledgment to concerns astir President Donald Trump's tariffs connected imports -- seems similar an due clip to see Buffett's words. Trump this week acceptable retired caller details of his program to taxation imports, launching a 10% tariff connected each imports into the U.S. arsenic good arsenic a scope of tariff levels by state -- with the heaviest levy of 54% connected imports from China. Investors are acrophobic this volition wounded some firm net and the wide system astatine home, and perchance effect successful a recession.

In fact, adjacent Buffett has criticized the thought of import tariffs, precocious saying during a CBS News interrogation that they are "an enactment of war, to immoderate degree. ... Over time, they are a taxation connected goods. ... You ever person to inquire that question successful economics. You ever say, 'And past what'?"

Does this mean the Oracle of Omaha, arsenic he's often called, advises staying distant from stocks these days? His words connected investing during times of marketplace turmoil connection an highly precise answer.

A close-up of Warren Buffett's face.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

But first, let's look astatine a speedy summary of President Trump's moves and banal marketplace show truthful far. Trump initially spoke of tariffs connected imports from China, Canada, and Mexico to protestation the circulation of lethal drugs crossed borders. He implemented definite levies, past spoke of broadening tariffs to different countries -- peculiarly those with import tariffs connected U.S. goods. This week, Trump announced these "reciprocal tariffs" astatine antithetic rates for antithetic countries arsenic good arsenic different tariffs.

As the tariff concern unfolded done overmuch of past month, indexes declined. In fact, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite some slipped successful and retired of correction territory and posted their worst quarterly show since 2022. Investors, disquieted astir the interaction of Trump's strategy, turned distant from stocks, particularly those astir delicate to the economy.

Now, let's see Buffett's precise wide connection regarding investing successful times of turmoil, and for this, I'll notation to an op-ed helium wrote successful The New York Times backmost successful 2008, during the planetary fiscal crisis. This was a clip erstwhile a batch was going incorrect -- from the illness of concern slope Bear Stearns to the aboriginal days of the subprime owe crisis, and finally, a banal marketplace crash.


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