If a global trade war is erupting, California would like to be left out of it. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that his state will try to negotiate its own deals with other nations, Fox News reports. With foreign governments responding in kind to the US actions, the Democrat said in a video posted on X that "Donald Trump's tariffs do not represent all Americans." He added that for Californians, "state of mind is around supporting stable trading relationships around the globe." To other nations, Newsom assured that his government is "ready to talk," per Axios.
California would be negotiating from a position of strength, as it leads the US in manufacturing and agriculture. The governor said California is "not scared to use our market power to fight back against the largest tax hike of our lifetime." Still, it's not clear whether a state can work out exemptions to tariffs with other nations, per the Los Angeles Times, and Newsom did not get specific. A White House spokesman responded Friday by saying Newsom should stick to dealing with California's problems "instead of trying his hand at international dealmaking."
The state has a history of forging relationships with foreign nations and their local governments, sometimes diverging from presidential policy, per the Times. Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown cut their own deals with other countries on climate policies, for instance. Newsom signed agreements with officials in Italy and China last year. The state has what would be, if broken out, the world's fifth-largest economy—as California governors regularly point out. (More California stories.)
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