r/politics • u/sweatycat New York • 1d ago

California to Negotiate Trade With Other Countries to Bypass Trump Tariffs

https://www.newsweek.com/california-newsom-trade-trump-tariffs-2055414
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u/Am_I_AI_or_Just_High 1d ago

Since Cali is has a bigger economy than nearly every other country, this is very possible and will make trump look even dumber. Also you don't need GPT to calculate "no more tariffs"

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u/Bruce-7891 1d ago

I'd love this but it sounds illegal as F. A tariff is a tax and a state can't independently decide it's not going to participate in federal taxes.

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u/THSSFC America 1d ago

As I read, this is CA negotiating deals with foreign powers to avoid the foreign powers from slapping tariffs on CA products. Not an evasion of the import tariffs.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

Why would any foreign country trust a trade deal with a state? Other countries follow the law, not carve outs with local governments. Just because you have a constitutional crisis, that doesn’t mean everyone else starts breaking their own norms

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u/THSSFC America 1d ago

Because CA is the 5th largest economy in the world, that's why.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

Why are Americans delusional? Why would other countries break their own norms and rule of law? Undermining the presidency is the last thing other countries would want to do in an economic trade war.

Just because you’re an American in a constitutional crisis doesn’t mean the rest of the world is as well.

Stop making a fool of yourselves and think better, this is not going to happen, otherwise those other countries risk their own individual states/provinces engaging in trade as individuals and losing federal powers themselves.

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u/THSSFC America 1d ago

What norms? We have long had partnerships with foreign entities at local levels. WA used to have negotiations with China and Japan over apple exports, for example.

The only issue is these states don't have tariff power, so they have to work on other aspects of trade, or bring the Feds in as partners.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

Partnerships vs engaging in override tariff trade are two very different things

You’re confusing the two. Calif cannot act as its own trading block and superseded federal trade actions

No country is going to sign state level deals while the federal government attacks them economically, use a bit of logic

There is a reason Canada and others are using specific state side trade actions like bourbon in Kentucky and oranges from Florida etc. it’s to maximize state level economic impacts.

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u/THSSFC America 1d ago

Partnerships vs engaging in override tariff trade are two very different things

Yes, correct.

No country is going to sign state level deals while the federal government attacks them economically, use a bit of logic

They would if it were to their benefit. Foreign entities need products from California, despite the presence of tariffs.

There is a reason Canada and others are using specific state side trade actions like bourbon in Kentucky and oranges from Florida etc. it’s to maximize state level economic impacts.

Precisely. That's arguing my point.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

I can’t get around this American delusion

This is exactly why countries will try to move away from America the best they can

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.

It’s the same bullshit every other state is saying that “tariffs are unfair on us” when countries choose to tariff something that directly affects that specific state while the federal government does a broad attack on others. The Kentucky distillers said the same thing about Canada that tariffing bourbon was unfair as a retaliation.

Heck the video on publicfreakout, the American government is calling any retaliation or reciprocal tariff an “overreaction”, just like a school yard bully. Apparently everyone takes in on the chin and is supposed to continue dealing with you like it’s another Friday?

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u/THSSFC America 1d ago

I don't know why you are attacking me as being deluded. I am merely explaining what I believe Gavin Newsome is trying to do.

Trump is a piece of shit fascist and this bullshit move of his will fuck up life for millions, if not billions across the planet.

Please do not assume that since I live in the nation most at prey to his disastrous misrule that I in any way support this bloated pile of human feces.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

I’m saying that your thinking is delusional that California is doing anything but posturing

The rest of the world still follows law and order and wouldn’t undermine federal powers of trade, especially in a trade war. It’s just lip service that every other state/American entity is doing thinking the world needs them when the world is actively working the opposite direction the best they can

America has shown its hand as a unreliable partner now, it might take a generation or two but the thought that you are a necessity is what’s causing your economic perils because everyone else will realign itself to benefit themselves and ween off of American influence

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u/funkhero 1d ago

Why are Americans delusional?

Sounds like you're the delusional one here. As a Canadian I whole-heartedly recommend this course of action and look forward to trading directly with California. I'm not sure I could give less of a fuck about what the USA thinks of it, nor what repercussions you seem to think would happen.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

You really think Canada would initiate a trade deal directly with a state while trump has a tariff on our country as a whole?

Don’t fall into this delusion, Smith going to Florida and what not is not it. Carney would never do this

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u/funkhero 1d ago

I have given up predicting this timeline. Do I think it will happen? No clue. Would I support it? 100%

I trust Carney so if he says this isn't viable, sure, that's fine. But if he sees a path where this works, regardless of what the federal government of the USA says, then 100% for it.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

Carney has never said a trade pact with an American state is on the table, he’s an economist that follows order.

He’s actively going to Europe for support, not the Americans and has already said any American negotiation is after the election

It’s always been the American states or entities thinking they can do this, never an outside government

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u/thottieBree 1d ago

What are the norms they're breaking again?

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

Seeking a trade deal circumventing federal trade action with a foreign country?

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u/thottieBree 1d ago

I genuinely do not understand why anyone might think this is norm breaking. It quite literally happened under Trump 1.0

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

Source?

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u/thottieBree 1d ago

Chinese, Canadian, and European retaliatory tariffs targeted specific States. This isn't rocket science, it's common knowledge.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

Yes, that’s how trade works, you target the bloc as a unit for maximum effect

That doesn’t mean states made trade deals

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u/Tulipfarmer 1d ago

And how does that help the countries who are being tarrifed and the people losing their jobs because of it?

You think some auto worker in Ontario gives a shit about California, if they don't have a way for avoiding the tarrifs killing their job. Why would they want their government make a one sided deal to not punish Cali products when the federal US government is trying to destroy our economy. ?

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u/THSSFC America 1d ago

I have no idea. I presume that CA thinks they can find some other way to partner with these entities.

I am not suggesting that this is easy or that the foreign parties should feel any obligation to this sort of cooperation.

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u/MIT_Engineer 1d ago

You misunderstand what he's saying. He's saying Gavin Newsom is talking with foreign countries to get their retaliatory tariffs applied on products predominantly made in other states.

In other words, California doesn't manufacture many cars, but it's about 100% of the nation's almond production. So Gavin Newsom would be talking to the leaders of other countries and saying, "Please put your retaliatory tariffs on cars, and no tariffs on almonds."

This isn't any sort of break with norms or rule of law, it's telling them how to put the screws to red states the hardest while leaving blue states untouched.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

Nope I understood, the purpose of retaliatory tariffs is to respond in kind with economic impact. Why would foreign countries not target vulnerable industries? The purpose of retaliation is to tell the constituents that you need to step up and tell your government to back off.

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u/MIT_Engineer 1d ago

Nope I understood, the purpose of retaliatory tariffs is to respond in kind with economic impact.

Right, and if your tariffs are going onto Californians, then you aren't applying any political pressure to swing voters / Trump voters.

Why would foreign countries not target vulnerable industries?

Because they gain literally nothing from putting tariffs on almonds. It applies zero political pressure to Trump.

The purpose of retaliation is to tell the constituents that you need to step up and tell your government to back off.

Right. What part confused you again?

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

Are you suggesting there aren’t any republicans in California?

Again this American delusion that it’s not one country needs to stop. Just because you are 50 states, that doesn’t mean you aren’t represented by one government.

Everyone sees you as one country acting in unison, we don’t differentiate a Floridian from a Californian

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u/MIT_Engineer 1d ago

Are you suggesting there aren’t any republicans in California?

Republicans that Trump has to care about in California? There are zero, correct.

Again this American delusion that it’s not one country needs to stop

You seem to be the delulu one here, you say the point of tariffs is to put pressure on the president, and then you want to pretend almond tariffs would do that.

They wouldn't, everyone knows this, what is wrong with you lol.