In a response to the sweeping reciprocal tariffs that President Trump implemented on April 2, California Governor Gavin Newsom posted a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) stating California was open to negotiating with the state’s trading partners regarding market power. Seemingly taking an antagonistic stance towards the Trump Administration’s aggressive foreign police with statements such as, “We will not sit idly by during Trump’s tariff war.”
In what the president called “Liberation Day”, the United States implemented sweeping reciprocal tariffs on almost 100 countries. Some key targets of these tariffs include China, who now face over 50% in tariffs, and Vietnam, who face almost 50% taxation. The tariffs were received with shock as many nations felt betrayed by the decision. As reported by the BBC, some world leaders such as Canada’s Mark Carney threaten retaliation, “We are going to fight these tariffs with countermeasures.”
Newsom’s decision to open tariff negotiations for California separate from the federal government reflects a larger shift towards more independence for the Golden State. Being the third largest state by landmass alone, California is a major player in the world stage. Devoting large swaths of land to agriculture, California produces more food than any other state. Furthermore, the state’s position near the Pacific Ocean grants the United States a valuable trade connection to Eastern nations. All of this helps explain why Newsom may be eager to find a way to avoid the incoming tariffs in order to preserve the bustling California economy, claiming in his post that California is, “The 5th largest economy in the world.”
