Bonta also addressed a Truth Social post in which Trump threatened to levy a targeted, 25% tariff on all Apple products if the company continues with plans to manufacture iPhones in India rather than shift production to the United States.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has said that his office plans to support the state’s companies, including goliaths like Apple, if President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on Chinese-made products take effect.
“The Trump administration’s chaotic tariffs have sent shockwaves through financial markets, businesses, and consumers in every corner of the globe—and especially here in California, home to the fourth-largest economy in the world,” Bonta said in a recent press release. “Today, I heard from leaders on the front lines concerned about the disastrous impact of tariffs on their industries and businesses.”
“These folks are the bellwethers for our state and have sounded the alarm,” Bonta said. “I thank them deeply for their time and candor. California will continue to fight on all fronts to end President Trump’s illegal tariffs and restore certainty and vibrancy to our economy.”
POLITICO notes that, on Friday, Bonta held a roundtable with California business leaders about the harm they have experienced, and are continuing to experience, as a consequence of Trump’s unnecessary trade war.
Bonta also addressed a Truth Social post in which Trump threatened to levy a targeted, 25% tariff on all Apple products if the company continues with plans to manufacture iPhones in India rather than shift production to the United States.
“The statement about Apple is obviously disappointing,” Bonta said. “It’s almost like [Trump] wakes up in the morning and he says, ‘Hey, I think Apple should build more Apple phones, so maybe I’ll tell their CEO that he should do that.’ And then, maybe tomorrow, he wakes up and he says, ‘Hey, I was just kidding.’”
“We’re proud of California companies,” Bonta said, “and we want to make sure that their rights are not violated, especially by the president of the United States, which is not something you would normally have to protect against.”
Bonta said that, in the event Trump attempts to enact tariffs on California-based companies, his office will assess the order or orders’ legality and consider supporting businesses that take a stand against the Trump administration.
“We definitely will assess our potential role [in litigation],” Bonta told POLITICO at a San Francisco press conference. “We will be monitoring what [Trump] does, if he does anything, and we’ll make sure that, if the law is broken and we have standing to sue, we’ll take appropriate action.”
Although Apple is currently exempt from some of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, the president has repeatedly reminded it that the reprieve is time-sensitive and may not be extended unless the company meets the administration’s demands.
Sources
California attorney general suggests potential lawsuit over Trump’s Apple tariff threats
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