'I'm A Fan Of Free Trade': Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev Expects Tariff Madness To Be Resolved 'Before Too Long'

Robinhood Markets Inc HOOD pioneered commission-free trading, so it’s no surprise that Robinhood co-founder and CEO Vlad Tenev is a “fan of free trade.”

What To Know: Wednesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Tenev discussed the one thing at the top of every investor’s mind right now: tariffs.

“It probably wouldn’t surprise you to hear that, generally speaking, I’m a fan of free trade,” Tenev said in a nod to Robinhood’s commission-free investing model.

President Donald Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariffs went into effect on Wednesday. Markets are jittery as investors await updates on potential negotiations to lower the new duties.

Tenev told CNBC that the one good thing about tariffs is that they can be modified or removed just as quickly as they were introduced. What’s “tricky” is when tariffs are not bilateral, he said.

“If there [are] restrictions other countries impose on us and we’re not doing something about that then we can get into a tricky situation. I think the equilibrium — where we end up — is hopefully going to be something close to bilateral free trade,” Tenev said.

Check This Out: Ray Dalio Says Don’t Make The Mistake Of Thinking What’s Happening Now Is Due To Trump Tariffs

The Robinhood CEO didn’t want to make a prediction about how negotiations will play out, but he did note that he expects the trade disagreements to be resolved “before too long.”

In the meantime, Robinhood customers are approaching the drawdown in markets in various ways. Some investors are depositing cash and buying the weakness, while others are using more sophisticated instruments to play the volatility or even bet on further downside, he said.

“The longer the tariffs go on, the more companies will have to adjust. And I think part of the hope is that over the very, very long run, this leads to increased U.S. manufacturing domestically … and I think to some extent, we all want that. Short term, I think there’s uncertainty here and we’re all watching,” Tenev said.

HOOD Price Action: Robinhood shares were up 1.68% at $34.74 at the time of publication Wednesday, per Benzinga Pro.

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