Kevin O’Leary Says Trump Should Hit China With 400% Tariffs

“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary isn’t mincing words when it comes to Communist China and he’s calling on President Donald Trump to go even harder.

Appearing on CNN, O’Leary blasted China’s decades-long abuse of global trade and declared that the current 125% tariff on Chinese goods isn’t enough. His solution? 400% tariffs effective immediately.

“They cheat, they steal, they steal IP. I can’t litigate in their courts,” O’Leary said. “They manufacture stolen technology and sell it back to us. I’ve had enough.”

O’Leary, who actually does business in China, took to X to double down:

“104% tariffs on China are not enough. I’m advocating 400%. I speak for millions of Americans who have IP that have been stolen by the Chinese.”

This comes just after President Trump raised the tariff on Chinese imports to 125%, citing China’s retaliatory move and its disrespect for fair global trade. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump made it clear that China’s days of taking advantage of America and the rest of the world are over:

“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets... I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China... to 125%, effective immediately.”

Trump’s aggressive “Liberation Day” trade policy had already drawn the attention of over 75 countries, which have since reached out to begin negotiations rather than retaliate. In response, Trump authorized a 90-day global tariff pause, dropping most tariffs to 10% as a good-faith gesture except for China.

And that’s the distinction O’Leary hammered home: other nations are playing ball, but China continues to lie, manipulate, and retaliate.

• China responded to Trump’s earlier 50% tariff with an 84% tariff on U.S. goods.

• Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property costs the economy an estimated $600 billion a year, according to a 2019 report by the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property.

• China has repeatedly ignored its obligations under the World Trade Organization, while U.S. manufacturers and inventors foot the bill.

While the Biden administration spent years appeasing Beijing and ignoring trade theft, Trump is forcing the issue and business leaders like O’Leary are applauding him, even as they urge him to go further.

This isn’t just about numbers it’s about sovereignty, economic justice, and the future of American innovation. For decades, China has used U.S. openness as a weapon. Now, thanks to Trump, that playbook is finally being shredded.

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