California to challenge Trump tariffs in court

California Governor Gavin Newsom said his state is filing a lawsuit to stop US President Donald Trumpʼs tariffs.

Bloomberg writes about this.

The state will file a complaint in federal court in San Francisco challenging Trumpʼs use of emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada, officials say, citing harm to consumers and businesses.

Democrat Newsom, who is considered a likely candidate for president in 2028, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta will seek a court order to immediately block the tariffs.

“President Trump’s illegal tariffs are wreaking havoc on California families, businesses and our economy, raising prices and threatening jobs,” Newsom said.

The US president has already faced at least three lawsuits over his tariffs, although major industries affected by his policies have so far refrained from legal action. Two lawsuits were filed by conservative legal groups on behalf of small businesses, and the third by representatives of the Blackfeet tribe in Montana.

The US Justice Department lawyers have argued that all lawsuits filed so far should be heard by the Court of International Trade in New York, which specializes in lawsuits against governments on trade issues. They are also seeking to transfer cases filed in US district courts to that court.

California, a traditionally Democratic state, has already challenged Trumpʼs executive order to revoke birthright citizenship and freeze federal grants and loans.

California accounts for nearly 14% of the US gross domestic product. The state has a population of 40 million and, if it were a separate country, would be among the worldʼs largest economies. Governor Newsom said that economic power gives California influence on the global stage, but also makes it vulnerable to tariffs.

• On April 2, the US President Donald Trump reported that he would impose tariffs on goods from other countries. The new tariffs will apply to more than 180 countries and territories (not including Russia, North Korea, Cuba and Belarus, which are already under sanctions). A 10% tariff was imposed on Ukraine.
• Already on April 9, Trump postponed tariffs for everyone except China, which received the highest tariffs — 145%, while most countries have a base rate of 10%.

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