"Be ready to win" — Shark Tank star Mark Cuban shares how the US can gain leverage over China

On April 17, 2025, Shark Tank star Mark Cuban joined Iman Hasan on her podcast to discuss U.S. trade policy, domestic manufacturing, and the strategic use of tariffs. Known for his role on Shark Tank, Cuban has consistently advocated for innovation and self-sufficiency in the U.S. economy.

The conversation highlighted how Cuban believes the U.S. could have positioned itself more effectively in global trade relations, especially with China. During the discussion, Cuban emphasized the need to build domestic industries before imposing aggressive tariffs.

“Be ready to win—that would have given us leverage,” he said.

Cuban agreed with Hasan’s point that setting up local industries should have come first. He used the pharmaceutical industry as an example, referencing his own robotics-driven drug manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas.

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Shark Tank star Mark Cuban discusses building high-tech manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

Mark Cuban discussed the timeline and process of establishing manufacturing facilities in the United States. When asked how long it would take to build different types of industries in the U.S., he said:

“It depends on what the industry is. Bikes is one thing. For drugs, it took us three years to build a factory. It’s all robotics-driven manufacturing in Dallas, Texas.”

The Shark Tank star mentioned that his facility is one of the most advanced in the U.S. He believes it could become the biggest domestic manufacturer within five years.

He said they are expanding quickly, and, with some luck, they might reach that goal. He added that he plans to keep investing to make it happen. Cuban stressed that the U.S. missed a strategic opportunity.

Cuban pointed to the Chips Act and TSMC as examples of early steps but argued more industries could have been developed with similar models. He mentioned that even simple items like T-shirts could be produced competitively in the U.S. using advanced technology.

“If we found a way to make T-shirts faster, cheaper, better… and just say, ‘Look, we’re going to replicate this.’ We want better tariffs or you’re going to lose all that business,” he explained.

He argued that achieving domestic efficiency would allow the U.S. to either implement tariffs effectively or compete without needing them.

“We used American exceptionalism. We took the AI. We took the robotics. We pulled it all together and integrated it and figured out the economics,” Cuban said. “Then we can say, ‘We don’t need you. But if you want to sell here, open the door for us to sell cars—or whatever it may be.’”

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Cuban breaks down President Trump’s trade and tariff decisions

Shark Tank's Mark Cuban also commented on President Donald Trump’s trade approach and the origins of his tariff policy. He shared that Trump was introduced to Peter Navarro by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, after Kushner read a book authored by Navarro.

“He [Navarro] invented sources for the book, almost like Donald Trump did when he invented John Miller to do PR,” Cuban noted. He added, “It makes you question the whole underpinning.”

Despite their differences, Cuban said he did work with Navarro during the pandemic. He shared that they collaborated on a company called Premier, which was a major U.S. mask manufacturer.

Cuban said it was a good experience, especially since the company was based in Fort Worth, allowing him to get involved and offer support. However, Cuban criticized Trump’s overall approach.

“Donald Trump has been dogmatic about trade for 30-plus years,” he said. “You can be principled, but you can’t be dogmatic in business or government.”

The Shark Tank star stressed the importance of identifying and using leverage points.

“If we were able to demonstrate and support manufacturing like I just said and then went and negotiated tariffs, we’d have a whole lot more leverage,” he explained.

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Shark Tank airs every Friday on ABC at 8 pm EST.