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

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/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.