"Don't mess with us"— Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary claims North American unity could counter China’s economic dominance

In a recent CNN interview posted on his Instagram on April 17, 2025, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary discussed how North American cooperation, particularly among the United States, Canada, and Mexico, could challenge China’s growing economic influence.

When asked about potential solutions to counter China's economic power, O’Leary pointed to North America’s collective resources as a significant advantage.

"The point is, if we get a union back on track there, we can go back to the Chinese and say, 'Look, we have everything we need in the world's largest economy under democracy. Don't mess with us'," he stated.

O’Leary emphasized the potential of North America’s combined resources and economic power to counter China’s influence. By strengthening ties between US, Canada, and Mexico, Kevin believes the region could become a more formidable player in the global economy.

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Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary advocates for North American unity to challenge China's economic power

North America’s economic advantage

Kevin O’Leary discussed the economic resources available within North America, particularly those held by Canada. He pointed out that Canada has significant resources, including energy, which could play a key role in the region’s economic future.

"Canada has everything that the North American market needs, including energy, a massive amount of energy," O’Leary said.

The Shark Tank investor explained that this would reduce the region's reliance on countries like China for critical resources. Furthermore, O’Leary emphasized the strategic advantage of combining the economic might of US, Canada, and Mexico.

"You think about these economies put together in a cooperative way, it's a massive opportunity," he stated.

According to Kevin, strengthening economic ties among these nations would create a powerful bloc capable of competing with China on the global stage.

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Resolving tensions within North America

The Shark Tank investor highlighted the importance of resolving tensions between US and Canada to foster closer economic collaboration.

"We got to resolve that problem. There shouldn’t be any tiff with them," he said.

He emphasized that the two countries have common economic interests and that reconciliation of any issues currently at odds would be advantageous to both parties. Kevin also mentioned Canada's next election, which he thinks can better coordinate cooperation between the two nations.

"The Canadians have an election in less than two weeks. They’ll resolve with a new prime minister and he’ll come back to Washington. We’ll work it out," he stated.

He suggested that a new leadership in Canada would help clear the path for more collaborative agreements, particularly around economic cooperation.

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Reevaluating trade agreements

Besides being concerned with the bilateral relationship between US and Canada, O'Leary also spoke about the general context of trade agreements, namely the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement). He stated that current agreements are perhaps not sufficient to address China's growing power.

"The deal that has to be contemplated now is economic might," O’Leary emphasized.

He argued that the new focus should be on strengthening the economic power of North America as a unified bloc. Kevin also mentioned the possibility of further integration, proposing that economic cooperation could involve shared currency or coordinated central bank policies.

"That may involve common currency just like the EU has, a passport system and that people have the ability to move freely across North America's indigenous populations," he said.

The Shark Tank investor underscored that he envisions a deeper, more coordinated economic partnership within the region to better compete with China.

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Shark Tank airs on ABC every Friday at 8 pm ET and is available for streaming on Hulu.