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/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 Calif cannot act as its own trading block and superseded federal trade actions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/THSSFC America 1d ago

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

I don't think I ever made any representations about the effectiveness of the strategy.

I know tempers are frayed, and for damn good reason. Just understand we actually agree on the folly and maliciousness of US trade policy under Trump.

May we all the the back of him sooner than later.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

It’s not the effectiveness, it’s the notion that this would happen at all. A state trade deal would literally violate state-federal separation of powers which no foreign country would entertain as it would be detrimental to their own country politics of federal powers.

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u/THSSFC America 1d ago

A state trade deal would literally violate state-federal separation of powers which no foreign country would entertain as it would be detrimental to their own country politics of federal powers.

It doesn't have to. I mean, I don't know, the deal could be something like "Hey, China, if you don't reciprocate on almond exports, we'll fund UC research on panda reproduction" or some other item of interest to China. It's only a violation of federal powers if CA is attempting to levy or evade tariffs, or affect immigration or some other federal power.

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u/Safe-Cat-7289 1d ago

This is where that delusion comes into play, the notion that a single state has anything to offer against a broad economy wide economic attack.

Trumps tariffs are broad spectrum across every industry, why would a foreign country drop their retaliation to appease a subset when they are facing the behemoth? If anything it shows the retaliation is working and to keep it up

Mark carney from Canada has said retaliation won’t drop unless every action the Americans have took is dropped. It’s not a “we’ll carve this one section out because they’re being nice”

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u/THSSFC America 1d ago

Mark carney from Canada has said retaliation won’t drop unless every action the Americans have took is dropped.

Which is 100% defensible and IMO the right move

It’s not a “we’ll carve this one section out because they’re being nice”

But it already is a targeted tariffs plan, specifically targeted at industries in regions that support Trump.

This is exactly what CA is trying to foster.

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