California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit Monday challenging President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, marking the first time a U.S. state has taken legal action over the levies.
The lawsuit disputes Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs, arguing the law was never intended to authorize trade duties and that only Congress has that authority.
Announced at an almond farm in the Central Valley, the suit highlights California’s outsized role in U.S. agriculture and manufacturing. “California has been disproportionately affected,” Newsom said, pointing to the state’s production of 82% of the world’s almonds and its dominance in crops like artichokes, figs, and walnuts.
Newsom said the state is asserting itself on behalf of 40 million residents and called the use of IEEPA a “clear overreach.” The suit references Supreme Court rulings that struck down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, arguing the same legal reasoning should apply to Trump’s tariffs.
The White House dismissed the case, calling it a distraction. “Instead of focusing on California’s rampant crime, homelessness, and unaffordability, Gavin Newsom is trying to block President Trump’s efforts to address America’s trade deficits,” said spokesman Kush Desai.
Since Trump took office in January, his administration has issued a series of tariffs, including a 145% duty on Chinese imports and 10% on others, framing them as a way to boost U.S. manufacturing. But critics argue the tariffs hurt businesses and consumers and could take years to yield results.
Though California is the first state to sue, other legal challenges from small businesses and advocacy groups are also questioning Trump’s tariff authority.
The lawsuit comes amid growing legal and political resistance to Trump’s trade agenda, even as he doubles down on using tariffs as a central tool of economic policy.
