California the 1st state to sue Trump administration over tariffs

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 16, 2025 11:14 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that his authorities volition record a suit challenging U.S. President Donald Trump's authorization to enforce sweeping tariffs that person acceptable disconnected a planetary commercialized war.

The suit volition reason that Trump's usage of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to enforce tariffs connected Mexico, Canada and China, oregon a 10 per cent tariff connected each imports, is unlawful. The enactment enables a president to frost and artifact transactions successful effect to overseas threats.

Trump has offered galore justifications for expanding tariffs, including that they are designed to spur U.S. manufacturing and halt the travel of illicit fentanyl into the country.

California's determination follows rapidly changing tariff plans by the Trump administration. It is the archetypal authorities to instrumentality ineligible enactment implicit the tariffs, which person been antecedently legally challenged successful suits filed by instrumentality firms representing concern owners and civilian liberties organizations.

Newsom says the tariffs successful effect person resulted successful inflated costs and billions of dollars successful harm successful California, which has the largest system among U.S. states and is simply a monolithic exporter.

"President Trump's unlawful tariffs are wreaking chaos connected California families, businesses and our system — driving up prices and threatening jobs," helium said successful a statement. "We're lasting up for American families who can't spend to fto the chaos continue."

As with Democratic lawmakers connected Capitol Hill, California is arguing that legislature support was required for the tariffs. Senate Democrats were joined by 4 Republicans successful a symbolic ballot rebuking Trump implicit the tariffs earlier this month, but Trump loyalists pb the House of Representatives, making a akin ballot determination unlikely.

Trade with Canada impacted

Newsom plans to sermon the suit alongside California Attorney General Rob Bonta aboriginal Wednesday successful the farm-rich Central Valley. California is simply a farming powerhouse, with galore of the nuts, fruits and vegetables the authorities grows destined for different countries.

The authorities volition inquire the tribunal to instantly artifact the tariffs.

WATCH l Trump inactive believes Canada would beryllium a large state, White House says: 

The announcement connected Wednesday comes days aft Newsom asked countries to exempt the state's exports from retaliatory tariffs and measures, stating, "California is not Washington, D.C." No deals person yet been announced..

California, which boasts its system successful presumption of gross home merchandise is lone smaller than a fistful of countries, borders Mexico and besides enjoys a important commercialized narration with Canada. Trump has expressed grievances astir the updated trilateral commercialized statement helium signed disconnected connected successful 2019 with Mexico and Canada.

The Consulate General of Canada estimates that determination is $53 cardinal US of two-way commercialized annually betwixt Canada and California, and that determination are astir 2,000 Canadian-owned companies operating successful the state, with astir 90,000 full employees.

California presently exports astir $2 cardinal much successful goods and services to Canada than it imports, the consulate says, but the strained relations arsenic a effect of the tariff threats from Washington person seen California wineries and intoxicant suppliers punished arsenic a result, with products wiped from the shelves of liquor stores successful respective provinces.

Newsom besides beckoned Canadians to the Golden State arsenic portion of a recently launched tourism campaign.

"Our inclusive values, emotion of earthy quality and passionateness for innovation hindrance us, and we look guardant to welcoming you backmost with the aforesaid assemblage tone you've ever shown us," Newsom says successful the ad.

WATCH l Canadian question to the U.S. dips compared to erstwhile year:

California estimates Canadians are the second-biggest planetary spenders for its tourism economy, with Newsom stating that 2 cardinal Canadians visited past year. But authorities tourism officials accidental visits by Canadians dropped 12 per cent successful February compared with the aforesaid period past year.

Domestically, the California enactment stands to people a resumption of the tensions betwixt the authorities and the Trump administration. Conflicts dating backmost to the archetypal Trump medication person arisen implicit automobile emissions and the environment, reproductive rights and entree to abortion, and wildfire prevention and causes.