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/NattyBumppo 1d ago

  a state subsidy on particular products

So the state ends up paying the tariff to the federal government (albeit indirectly)? Sounds like a pretty shitty deal for California.

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u/LackingUtility 1d ago

Sounds that way unless the savings on the foreign tariffs are worth more. For example, if California subsidizes the import tariffs to the tune of $20B, but manages to export an additional $50B of goods they wouldn't have been able to, they're going to come out ahead.

Yes, it's not ideal, but what's your solution? Shove the almonds up your ass and hope you get milk?

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u/NattyBumppo 1d ago edited 1d ago

Import the goods through California ports and don't pay the tariffs at all. Find a loophole. Fight fire with fire.

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u/LackingUtility 1d ago

So just ignore federal taxes and hope that Trump never comes after you? Not sure that's going to work.

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u/Alocasia_Sanderiana 1d ago

Depends on how you do it. If we go back in time, this would probably look something like the state opening its own port under the protection of state forces.