Warren Buffett says tariffs are like America gloating ‘hahaha, we've won’ to rest of the world — warns it’s risky to use trade as a weapon with 8 nations having nuclear bombs. Do you agree?

He went on to say that it’s a “big mistake” when you have 300 million people “crowing in some way about how well they’ve done.”

“Eight countries have nuclear weapons, including a few that I would call quite unstable. I do not think it's a great idea to try and design a world where a few countries say ‘Hahaha, we’ve won’ and other countries are envious … trade should not be a weapon.”

The eight countries besides the U.S. that possess nuclear weapons are Russia, France, China, the U.K, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea.

The Oracle of Omaha insists that balanced trade is a positive for the world and richer trading partners could actually be beneficial to the U.S.

"The more prosperous the rest of the world becomes it won't be at our expense,” he said. “The safer we'll feel and your children will feel someday."

Buffett’s thesis may have already been validated in a small way as the S&P 500 jumped 3.26% a day after the U.S.-China agreement to temporarily slash tariffs was announced.

While the trade war seems to be simmering down, it isn’t officially over yet and investors should take serious steps to protect their portfolios from further volatility ahead.

Here are three ways to protect your wealth in an increasingly fractured world.

Safe havens

Spooked by the volatility and random tariff policy, many investors have retreated to traditional safe havens such as gold to protect themselves. As a consequence, gold could be considered one of the few winners of the ongoing trade war.

Each ounce of the precious yellow metal now trades at $3,310.26, which is 36% higher than the same time last year. By comparison, the S&P 500 is up just 11% over the same period.

If you’re worried about the future of the global economy, adding some exposure to gold could be a good idea.

Diversification

Buffett’s preferred method of protection is diversification. Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio is incredibly well-diversified, which has previously helped the company sail through periods of intense turmoil.

As of 2025, the company owns a vast portfolio of private businesses, 36 publicly traded stocks, and roughly $348 billion in cash. Buffett has added exposure to Japanese trading houses by buying stakes in Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Sumitomo.