[By Guancha Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi]

Local time on May 3rd, the annual shareholders' meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, known as the "Spring Festival of the Investment World," was held in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Despite most of the meeting focusing on trade policies and tariff issues, 94-year-old "Warren Buffett" also publicly criticized the tariff policies promoted by the Trump administration for the first time, but another rare statement he made also drew much attention.

India's "Business Today" pointed out that this statement is also unsettling - "Buffett has lost confidence in the dollar, which supports the global market." The report said that Buffett issued one of his harshest financial warnings at the meeting, criticizing America's reckless fiscal behavior, which may weaken the value of the dollar.

The US dollar fell to its lowest point in three years last month. According to reports from CNBC, when asked about reducing the exposure to the risk of dollar depreciation, Buffett replied, "Obviously, we will not invest in any currency that we think is 'going to hell.' This is our biggest concern about the dollar."

He further added that when the government takes irresponsible actions, the value of the currency will become "a terrible thing."

When talking about the root cause of the concerns, Buffett bluntly said that the fiscal policy of the American government was shocking. He said, "I just briefly mentioned it in the annual report, but the current state of America's fiscal policy is what scares me."

According to "Business Today," Buffett pointed out that the behavior of the U.S. government seems to be gradually deviating from protecting the dollar, but instead becoming more inclined to weaken the dollar.

Although he admitted that the dollar still dominates globally, Buffett also clearly stated that if the U.S. faces economic problems, Berkshire would be willing to diversify its currency investments. He said, "What happens in the United States... could make us want to hold more other currencies."

On local time of the 3rd, Buffett spoke at the annual shareholders' meeting. CNBC video screenshot.

In addition, Buffett expressed concern about the ever-expanding fiscal deficit and inefficient governance in the United States. However, he maintained an optimistic attitude towards the U.S. economy, calling it "the best place in the world," and believed that America would continue to provide investors with highly attractive investment opportunities.

The report said that as market uncertainty increases, Buffett is adopting a more conservative investment strategy. Berkshire has reduced stock holdings for 10 consecutive quarters, selling $134 billion worth of stocks in 2024 alone, including significant reductions in major holdings such as Apple and Bank of America. This indicates that Buffett is preparing for possible macroeconomic turbulence.

The Wall Street Journal noted that this year's Buffett shareholders' meeting coincides with a period of market and global business turmoil. Since former President Trump announced the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" plan a month ago, the trade war he initiated has dominated headlines across media outlets.

It was introduced that this year, 19,700 people attended the shareholders' meeting in person, setting a new record. In the "main event" question-and-answer session of the conference, the first question asked by the audience was related to tariffs.

The report said that although Buffett stated that it is best for countries to maintain a balanced trade, he believed that Trump's broad-based tariff imposition was not the right move, increasing the risk of global instability.

"I believe that creating a world where only a few countries can say 'ha ha, we win' while others can only envy is not a good idea," Buffett emphasized, "Trade should not be used as a weapon."

He added, "In my view, it is neither correct nor wise for 7.5 billion people to dislike you while 300 million people boast about their achievements."

Buffett agreed that the United States has benefited from the prosperity of global trade. "We should trade with other countries in the world. We should do what we are best at, and they should do what they are best at. I believe that the richer the rest of the world becomes, the more we benefit from it. We will become richer, feel safer, and your children will feel safe too."

When talking about the U.S. isolationist stance, he once again pointed out that it was "unwise" and that the U.S. did not need to take unnecessary risks.

According to U.S. media reports, Berkshire pointed out in its latest earnings announcement that the company's future operating performance is facing multiple challenges and uncertainties. On one hand, it is significantly affected by the current complex and changing macroeconomic situation and geopolitical conflicts. On the other hand, it is also affected by industry and enterprise-related factors and events. Since 2025, the frequency of various external events has obviously increased, and uncertainty has further intensified.

This article is an exclusive contribution by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500473651377046066/

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