[Source/Observer Network by Shao Yun] According to a May 3 report on the Nikkei Asia website, during an online interview on April 2, California Governor and Democrat Newsom expressed his disagreement with the excessively high tariffs imposed by former Republican President Trump on China. He emphasized, "California is not the United States of America," and California still extends an open hand to China and other trading partners.
The report stated that despite increasingly intense competition between the US and China, Newsom said global trade is not a zero-sum game, and he recognizes the "mutual interdependence" between the US and China.
Although Newsom mentioned that the California government has not yet held any high-level direct dialogues with China, he attempted to portray California as a "stable partner" extending an open hand to China and other trading partners. He mentioned that during his visit to China in 2023, memorandums of understanding were signed at the state, regional, municipal, and federal levels.
According to Nikkei Asia, Newsom repeatedly mentioned the "distance" between California and Washington D.C., both geographically and metaphorically, in the interview. "We are 2000 miles away from Washington D.C., but in terms of ideology, we are worlds apart. I represent one of the states that least identifies with Trump in the entire country," he said.
Newsom added, "California is not the United States of America. We are proud to be part of the United States of America, but our values are completely different from those expressed by the current occupant of the White House."
It was reported that Newsom is not entirely against the use of tariffs as a tool, but he believes their application must be "strategic" and combined with industrial policies. The so-called "reciprocal tariffs" by Trump clearly do not meet this standard. He pointed out that California's close trade ties with Asia, with Silicon Valley tech companies deeply intertwined in Asia's supply chains and markets, make California particularly severely affected by tariffs compared to other states.
"The direct and indirect economic losses for California amount to billions of dollars," Newsom said. "It has caused tremendous impacts on tourism, trade, small businesses, large enterprises... and the damage to our reputation is immeasurable." He expressed concern that Trump's tariff policies might lead to reduced foreign investments from allies such as Japan, stating, "This is why we need to stand up against them."
On April 16, local time, Newsom held a press conference at an almond farm in Searles, California, announcing plans to sue Trump's tariffs for being illegal. Visual China
California is the most populous and economically largest state in the US and also the largest commodity import state in the US. According to a press release issued by the Governor's Office of California on April 23, California's nominal GDP reached $4.1 trillion in 2024, surpassing Japan's $4.02 trillion. Therefore, if calculated as a separate "economy," California ranks fourth globally, just behind the US, China, and Germany.
Data shows that California's total import and export trade volume reached nearly $675 billion in 2024. Mexico, Canada, and China are the top three export destinations for California, accounting for more than one-third of the state's total export value of $183 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, over 40% of California's imports also come from these three countries.
Previously, shortly after Trump announced the implementation of so-called "reciprocal tariffs" in early April, Newsom publicly stated that California would establish "strategic relationships" with various countries and called on countries affected by "reciprocal tariffs" to exempt products from California when retaliating. On April 16, Newsom also announced a lawsuit against the federal government over tariff issues, accusing it of "illegal" abuse of tariff policies. This is the first state government in the US to challenge Trump's tariff policies.
Analysts believe that the California government is mainly concerned that if major suppliers of construction materials such as wood, steel, and aluminum impose retaliatory tariffs on the US, it may hinder post-disaster reconstruction work after wildfires in Los Angeles. For example, Canada accounts for approximately 85% of all softwood timber imports into the US. Although the current tariff rate on Canadian timber is still 14.5%, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) estimates that this rate may rise this year.
After multiple rounds of tariff increases, the cumulative tariffs imposed by the US on a large number of Chinese goods have reached 145%, the highest in the world, causing a near halt in Sino-US trade. Various figures continue to warn that ultimately, American consumers will bear the cost of tariffs. Last week, US media disclosed that Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and other major US retail giants' CEOs expressed concerns about Trump's tariff policies in closed-door meetings, stating that this would seriously disrupt supply chains and lead to empty shelves in US supermarkets in the coming weeks.
On May 1, the US Chamber of Commerce released a statement saying that the organization had sent a letter to the US government the day before, requesting exemptions for small importers to avoid "irreparable harm." On April 29, the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) wrote to the White House, urging Trump to exempt footwear products when imposing "reciprocal tariffs." The letter was jointly signed by 76 US footwear brands, including Nike, Adidas, Skechers, and Under Armour.
In addition to California, the Attorneys General of 12 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Vermont, filed a lawsuit on April 23 with the US Court of International Trade in New York, demanding that the court declare Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" illegal and block their implementation.
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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500117307172143631/
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