- Kevin O’Leary urged President Trump to raise tariffs on China to 400% from the current 104%, arguing that China’s government has cheated and stolen intellectual property for decades, flouting WTO rules and leaving U.S. businesses defenseless in their courts.
- He praised the Trump administration as the first to confront China’s unfair practices, speaking for millions of Americans affected by IP theft, while calling for Xi Jinping to negotiate in Washington to level the trade playing field.
Investor Kevin O’Leary has issued a bold call for President Donald Trump to escalate tariffs on China to an unprecedented 400%, arguing that the current 104% rate falls short of addressing decades of unfair trade practices. Speaking on Fox Business, O’Leary, who conducts business in China, expressed frustration over what he describes as systemic rule-breaking by the Chinese government within the World Trade Organization, asserting that they have flouted agreed-upon standards for years. He accused China of intellectual property theft, manufacturing stolen technology, and selling it back to the U.S., while emphasizing that their courts offer no recourse for litigation, leaving American businesses vulnerable.
O’Leary’s stance is rooted in personal experience, claiming he speaks for millions of Americans whose intellectual property has been pilfered by China, a practice he attributes squarely to the government rather than the Chinese people, whom he praised for their contributions to literacy, art, and technology. He urged for Chinese President Xi Jinping to come to Washington to negotiate a level playing field, framing the issue as transcending mere tariffs and requiring a fundamental reckoning with China’s behavior. While acknowledging potential distaste for Trump’s style or rhetoric, O’Leary lauded the administration as the first in decades – unlike the Europeans or prior U.S. leadership – to confront China head-on, a move he deems long overdue given the persistent theft and cheating he has witnessed firsthand.
The call for a 400% tariff marks a dramatic escalation from the existing 104% rate, reflecting O’Leary’s belief that only severe measures can force accountability after years of inaction from global players. His critique underscores a broader tension in U.S.-China trade relations, where the theft of product technology and lack of enforceable legal protections have long frustrated American entrepreneurs. By distancing his criticism from the Chinese populace and focusing on governmental misconduct, O’Leary positions his argument as a pragmatic push for fairness, not a cultural indictment, while championing Trump’s hardline approach as a necessary break from decades of inertia.
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