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“California is a stable trading partner and we hope you remember that as you consider California-made products,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a video statement to foreign governments.Credit...Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California is trying to get around President Trump’s tariffs to protect trade in a state with the world’s fifth-largest economy, asking his administration on Friday to pursue new international trade deals to exempt California products from any retaliatory tariffs.
Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, called on foreign governments to exclude items made in California from any actions they take in response to the tariffs Mr. Trump announced this week.
“Donald Trump’s tariffs do not represent all Americans, particularly those I represent here in the fifth largest economy in the world, the state of California,” Mr. Newsom said in a video announcement. “California is a stable trading partner and we hope you remember that as you consider California-made products.”
California is the nation’s largest agricultural producer and home to the most Fortune 500 companies in the country. It exported $23.6 billion in agricultural products in 2022, with almonds, dairy products, pistachios, wine and walnuts making up the top exports.
The Newsom administration also fears that retaliatory tariffs from countries that provide construction supplies, including timber, steel and aluminum, could hamper rebuilding in Los Angeles after January’s devastating wildfires.
Mr. Newsom announced the plan early Friday in a news release and a brief video that did not dive into the details about how California’s separate trade deals might work. He sent a similar announcement to the email list he uses for political fund-raising. “The trade war that Donald Trump has launched is going to be felt in pretty profound ways to real people, including those who voted for Donald Trump and are now being betrayed by this very administration,” the email read.
The governor’s announcement could ratchet up animosity between California and the Trump administration, which has already targeted the state with multiple investigations and legal challenges, including six announced in just one day last week.
“Gavin Newsom should focus on out-of-control homelessness, crime, regulations, and unaffordability in California instead of trying his hand at international dealmaking,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement about Mr. Newsom’s appeal to other nations.
California’s economy relies on heavy trade with Mexico, Canada and China. Mr. Newsom said Mr. Trump’s tariffs could result in major disruptions in particular to supply chains that span the California-Mexico border.
“If these goods are taxed each time they cross the border, the price of the final product will rise and ultimately be passed on to California consumers,” a statement from the governor’s office read. “This will have far-reaching impacts, affecting everything from semiconductors to aerospace and automotive products.”
Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, a Democrat, is also seeking to position his state as a reliable trading partner in a time of economic upheaval. In a visit to Mexico City this week, he signed an agreement to strengthen trade between Illinois and the most populous state in Mexico in the areas of manufacturing, agriculture and finance.
California already has agreements with dozens of international partners, many of them with foreign cities and regions that want to work with the state on economic and environmental initiatives.
Last month, Mr. Newsom hosted the governor of the Mexican state of Sonora, and they signed agreements advancing development of clean energy and supply chains. In 2023, Mr. Newsom traveled to China and signed agreements with several cities and provinces to advance wind energy, clean shipping routes and methane reduction.