Mark Cuban: Trump’s call for 200% tariffs on John Deere is ‘crazy’

“I like the company, but as you know, they announced a few days ago that they will be moving a large portion of their manufacturing business to Mexico. I’m putting John Deere on notice right now: If you do this, we “Put a 200 percent tariff on everything you want to sell in the United States,” Trump said.

“They think they will to make a cheaper product in Mexico and then sell it at the same price as before, make a lot of money by getting rid of our manpower and jobs,” the former president added.

In June, John Deere announced it would move some of its production — specifically, the production of skid steers and compact track loaders — from Dubuque, Iowa, to Ramos, Mexico, by the end of 2026.

But imposing such a high tariff on John Deere, Cuban said, would be counterproductive.

“Put a 200% tariff on the American company that moves some production to Mexico. But tax the Chinese manufacturers 10 or 20% so that the Chinese products are cheaper to sell in the US than the American company,” Cuban wrote on X.

“A good way to destroy a legendary American company and raise costs for American buyers,” he continued.

Cuban’s criticism of Trump is not surprising given his staunch support for Trump’s rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.

The “Shark Tank” star has endorsed Harris and championed her economic agenda since she became the Democratic nominee.

“Kamala Harris is pro-business,” Cuban said in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Sept. 5.

“She’s talked more about entrepreneurs and helped them get access to investment and made it easier for people to invest in startups than any president I’ve ever heard talk about startups and entrepreneurs.” Cuban told journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin.

To be sure, Trump has talked about imposing higher tariffs on China if he wins the November election.

In February, Trump confirmed in an interview with Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo that he would impose tariffs of more than 60 percent on Chinese goods.

“You know, obviously, I don’t want to hurt China. I want to get along with China. I think it’s great. But they really took advantage of our country,” Trump told Bartiromo.

Cuban and representatives for Trump and John Deere did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.