SACRAMENTO — California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging President Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs, marking the first state-level legal action against the administration’s trade agenda.
The lawsuit argues Trump’s tariffs, enacted under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, exceed presidential authority and are harming key California industries, including agriculture and technology.
“President Trump’s unlawful tariffs are wreaking chaos on California families, businesses, and our economy,” Newsom said, calling the move a stand for working Americans.
California, the world’s fifth-largest economy, is especially vulnerable to trade disruptions. The legal challenge follows similar claims by business groups and could set the stage for a broader legal fight over the scope of executive power in trade policy.
