California to Negotiate Trade With Other Countries to Bypass Trump Tariffs

[Mr. Sparkle]

Source: Newsweek

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he has directed his administration to "look at new opportunities to expand trade" as he tries to steer his state around President Donald Trump's sprawling import tariffs.

In a post on X, Newsom addressed the U.S.'s global trading partners, writing "California is here and ready to talk."

It comes after a Fox News report revealed that Newsom is directing his state to pursue "strategic" relationships with countries announcing retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., urging them to exclude California-made products from those taxes.



Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/california-newsom-trade-trump-tariffs-2055414

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Link to tweet

[JBTaurus83]

1. I'm curious

how this would work. More power to them though. It is time for a blue state revolt.

[reACTIONary]

6. I don't think it will work, and I think it is ...

... just for show. Other countries can give CA an exception to their tariffs, but what can CA give in return? They can't invalidate Trump's tariffs. States are not allowed to do that.

Furthermore, if an exemption is given to CA, everyone would import though CA and it would become an exception for all of the US. It would basically invalidate their retaliation.

[NJCher]

12. trump pushes the envelope all the time

why shouldn't Newsom?

[reACTIONary]

27. It's not going to work. Tariffs are imposed...

... by customs enforcement, in federal facilities, by federal employees. They are not going to stop collecting tariffs because CA tells them to.

This is a stunt.

[zorbasd]

34. Just declare Trump EO tarriffs without a real emergency

unconstitutional, and thus not bound by law.
Lawlessness is what the Trump fascists thrive on....states can play that game too....

[Farmer-Rick]

38. Exactly

There are numerous waivers that can be gotten, some controlled or defined by the states. And evasion tactics are frequently used by importers. Since Trump cut back on fed employees, who exactly is going to be digging through those shipping containers to find out if the cargo doesn't meet the tariff description? Maybe a few get caught.....maybe not.

Now is the time to use common manipulation techniques.

[reACTIONary]

47. Exactly what wavers are you referring to? And...

.... Why would the federal customs enforcement personnel release impounded goods before the tariffs have been paid?

This is a stunt. Not that stunts can't be useful as a propaganda technique, but in the end it is just a stunt.

[reACTIONary]

46. This is exactly what....

NCLA is doing...

Washington, DC (April 3, 2025) – Today, the New Civil Liberties Alliance filed the first Complaint challenging President Donald Trump’s unlawful attempt to require Americans to pay a heavy tariff on all products they import from China. President Trump imposed the tariff by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). However, this statute authorizes specific emergency actions like imposing sanctions or freezing assets to protect the United States from foreign threats. It does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. In its nearly 50-year history, no other president—including President Trump in his first term—has ever tried to use the IEEPA to impose tariffs. NCLA’s lawsuit does not quibble with President Trump’s declaration of an opioid-related emergency, but it does take issue with his decision to impose tariffs in response, without legal authority to do so.

This is not, however, something that can be decreed by the executive or legislative organs of a state.

https://nclalegal.org/press_release/ncla-sues-to-stop-trump-admin-from-imposing-emergency-tariffs-that-congress-never-authorized

NCLA is a free market advocacy organization supported by the Kochtopus.

[Deminpenn]

48. Koch supported you say?

That's interesting, and probably inevitable the rich big businesses would break from Trump.

[reACTIONary]

50. Yes, very much like Rand Paul, who is ...

... one of the few goppers against the tariffs. The Koch bros (not sure if the are both alive) are ideologically libertarians, with a principled commitment to lazier Faire economic principles. With that background they are often surprisingly supportive of civil liberties also.

[Deminpenn]

53. David Koch died in 2019

Charles, 89, is still living. Brother Fred, an art and historic building collector, died in 2020 at age 86. Brother Bill, the youngest at 84, is still living. He was featured on an episode of American Greed being swindled out of a lot of money from a counterfeit wine fraudster. Fred and Bill had a falling out with the other two brothers.

David Koch also sponsored programming on PBS and his charitable foundation, assuming one exists, may still be doing so.

[Ponietz]

51. "Not allowed to do that" is quaint these days

[reACTIONary]

52. This isn't a case of doing something you aren't allowed to do...

... Its a case of expecting someone else to do something they are not going to do.

Other countries are not going to give CA a break. They don't give a shit about CA; we are all Yankees as far as they are concerned.

Federal customs enforcement is not going to stop impounding imports because CA says so.

This is just bluster to get some attention and earned media. A stunt.

[hannah]

8. I'm curious too

It is an Executive Order and not a law.

[EmmaLee E]

11. Trump's tariffs cannot be disregarded, BUT

If other countries don't charge retaliatory tariffs on California goods,
wouldn't California continue to have a vibrant export market compared with the rest of the country?

I think that is the deal Newsom is looking for.

Other states would stagnate while California businesses keep their foreign markets. Bad for Trump.

Am I missing something (s)?

[DENVERPOPS]

19. California ports

have a third of all ports in the U.S. This could get very interesting...............

[reACTIONary]

29. If they did that, everyone in the US would ship through....

.... CA and their retaliatory tariffs would be ineffective. Why would they do that?

[Deminpenn]

49. No. He can't do anything about the import

tariff, but he can work a deal where CA products are not subject to retaliatory import tariffs.

State secretaries of state make deals with other countries regularly.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

40. Other countries could exempt California exports from their own tariffs

Nothing can be done on imports though. Feds handle those. They won't release shipments from customs until the tariffs are paid on it.

[Bayard]

2. That will certainly burn trump's orange butt

Calif has two of the largest ports in the country, right?

[BComplex]

5. California's economy is, by itself, the fifth largest economy in the world.

I think this is a great idea!

[homegirl]

18. Correction...

California is the FOURTH largest economy in the World!

And it sure burns Donald's butt!!!!

[DENVERPOPS]

20. Putin

really wants California destroyed ASAP...................along with several other BLUE states.............including COLORADO............

[mitch96]

37. I think putin just wants to destroy the US period. He has the wrecking ball in the white house doing it right now.

As Nikita Khrushchev said in 1956:
“We will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to invade the U.S. We will destroy you from within”.

It's been almost 70 years And it's happening right now...
m

[calimary]

23. Even better!

Fourth largest’ ‘eh?

Still love California, even though we moved several years ago.

[calimary]

21. Agreed!

[Mister Ed]

3. I hope other states will join California in that effort. n/t

[OldBaldy1701E]

28. Me too! (n/t)

[Torchlight]

4. Color me interested.

This could be a very positive step back from the brink.

[NNadir]

7. Without secession it wouldn't be viable. Perhaps Newsom should check with his new bro...

Bannon first. Bannon is fond of the Confederacy. That, however, did not work out all that well.

[Exp]

9. Go Gavin! nt

[NCgayguy]

10. How is that possible?

Hey, I'm all for it! But it does sound like grandstanding. I've noticed that since Cory Booker stood up against the republican a whole lot of big name dems are making reels and videos and tweets with a lot to say. They should follow Cory example and follow through, Jasmine did. That's only my opinion. Wow, this DU membership is starting to go to my head, I sure hope my mouth doesn't get me in trouble.

[AllyCat]

16. Welcome to DU NCgayguy!

I dunno. I like hearing what you have to say. We have a lot of good folks here who can use our knowledge of the system to spur the Dems to work for America.

[erronis]

30. Keep on! What you said sounds about right.

Cory Booker may have given some a goose to get moving.

And, I'm learning that I'm not the only person who sticks foot in mouth and survives.

[poli-junkie]

13. If Newsom attempts to use the 2 CA ports to

do a trade workaround, then TSF will militarize said ports

[Chemical Bill]

44. Can Newsom send a sniper team to Fla?

Just askin'....

[byronius]

14. I love Gavin and everything he does for this great state.

Been my home since the eighties when I moved up to join a band.

It’s the best state I’ve ever lived in.

[AllyCat]

15. Will Newsom continue to play footsie with the MAGAs on his show?

Or is he over that now?

[AntiFascist]

17. Newsom could help set up a "sling shot" process for suppliers...

have suppliers move goods to a warehouse in a country with a relatively low tariffs and ship from there. Not sure how this could work well for Mexico and Canada but could work well for China.

[Blue Full Moon]

22. That's how the Civil War got started.

The states in the south tried to get their own trade agreements. The Constitution says otherwise.

[regnaD kciN]

26. "The Constitution"...what's that?

Doesn’t seem as if the administration has any plans to obey it. Maybe we should do the same.

[erronis]

31. My first reaction also. Constitution for thee, not for me.

[Hekate]

24. Good for my Gov. He has a lot of legal know-how in his admin, & gods know we have lawyers in CA...

Instead of people griping about his podcasts (which may or may not have been a good idea on his part) try watching what he’s been saying and doing all along. During the misery of Covid, he kept us informed & fought trump. Even before that, he reminded us of where we stood in the world economy, and in a moment of hubris called us “a nation-state.”

Ironically, it is trump himself who is showing the way in ignoring norms and flouting accepted trade laws and practices. trump may have broken everything already — maybe it’t time for the Dem gov of the largest state to test that.

[Random Boomer]

25. A step closer toward the Balkanization of the United States

It's ironic that Trump is trying to destroy the federal government, which is the base of his power. The more he weakens the Federal bureaucracy, the more incentive there will be for states to go it on their own.

More than one person has predicted that we will eventually fragment into five or six separate regions, and there's nothing like an economic collapse -- or the threat of one -- to hasten that scenario.

[erronis]

32. And how does that leave our federal military - fragmented? Putin's wet dream.

[Random Boomer]

41. Yup, pretty much.

Although, to be fair, Putin will probably be dead before the U.S. breaks up. I don't see this happening over the next year, probably not even over the next decade.

[Jit423]

33. It just may work!! Trump does all kinds of illegal, unconstitutional actions for his own benefit. Newsome would be

doing this to help his state. At least I don't believe he would have to "shake down" those he wanted to negotiate with. Trump either bullies or extorts the people.

[Stuckinthebush]

35. Play Trump's game

There may be no way to do this, but Gavin is smart to say, "There's a way". It's like when Trump says, 'A lot of people tell me I can run for a third term" knowing he can't. He's trolling. If Gavin can do this then great, but even if not he is getting buzz AND chapping Trump's ass. He could get countries to start talking to HIM instead of Trump. That would really piss off Trump.

Love it.

[Ping Tung]

36. Trump announces that California is to be annexed into the USA.

The population west of Bakersfield will be deported to newly annexed Greenland.

[DiverDave]

43. Dude!

The folks in Greenland don't deserve that.

[PortTack]

39. Gov JB Pritzker did that the last time. Got farmers a pretty good deal thru smaller Asian countries

Saved their arses! Thing is Illinois farmers never think twice about biting the hand that feeds them. They once again voted overwhelmingly for the orange lunatic

[mucifer]

45. JB is doing it again. He just got back from Mexico working on this.

[delisen]

42. A good initiative.

Newsom’s last initiative on the bros was not so good.

This one has great potential.

[republianmushroom]

54. This will piss off the orange convicted felon.