Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that he had directed his administration to “pursue new strategic trade relationships with international partners,” in the wake of President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements. Experts question whether he can prevent his state from being impacted by tariffs.
“California leads the nation as the #1 state for agriculture and manufacturing – and it’s our workers, families, and farmers who stand to lose the most from this Trump tax hike and trade war,” said the Democratic governor. “To our international partners: As the fifth largest economy in the world, the Golden State will remain a steady, reliable partner for generations to come, no matter the turbulence coming out of Washington. California is not Washington, D.C.”
KCBS political insider Phil Matier noted that Newsom “likes to point out repeatedly that California represents the fifth largest economy in the world, but when it comes to tariffs, it’s still part of the United States, which is the biggest economy in the world. And the governor doesn’t have the power to set tariffs independently.”
However, he said there are some things Newsom can do when it comes to foreign trade.
“He could ask foreign countries – let’s say China – or someone else to, you know, carve out California and say products going into California or being exported from California,” are exempt, Matier said. Still, he doesn’t think its likely and said it would probably just anger the Trump administration.
In addition to the early April announcment, Newsom said in an April 9 X post that “Trump will change his mind again,” about tariffs. He also added: “To our international partners: California is a stable, reliable partner. We want your business.”
This Monday, Premier David Eby of British Columbia in Canada – a top trading partner of the U.S. and a target of Trump’s tariffs – revealed in an X post that that he met with Newsom to discuss the impact of the tariffs. He said that Newsom “expressed to me that he values our trade relationship,” including how BC lumber could help Southern California rebuild from wildfires.
Matier indicated that Newsom’s overtures to international trade partners may be more political than practical.
“I mean, remember Gov. Jerry Brown made a big point of sort of being independent of the federal government when it came to climate change,” he said. “You know, he would sign tree agreements in partnerships with Canada and other countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But he wasn’t able to, you know, steer the entire United States that way.”
Additionally, Matier said it is yet to be seen how the tariffs impact California, since the state does import a considerable amount from other countries.
“I think the other thing more immediate that the governor has to worry about is if the Trump administration turns off federal funds, whether it be for transportation or whether it’d be as a penalty to sanctuary cities, because that’s going to [have] much more immediate and local effects,” he said.