Fox Business's Max Gorden has details from Shafter, California, Varney & Co.
California's almond industry faces uncertainty amid the recent tariffs of the Trump administration. GavinGovinNewsom advocates for foreign countries to exempt Golden State exports from trade retaliation.
According to a report by the California Food and Agriculture Agency (CFDA), the state's almond exports reached around $4.66 billion in 2022, with the European Union, India, the United Arab Emirates, China and Japan among the highest recipients.
Fox Business Correspondent Max Gorden on Friday reported that California “exports more produce than any other state in the US, so Newsom is worried about all of the state's crops and produce, but I think it's particularly important almonds.”
Scoop: Newsom asks world leaders to exempt California exports from retaliatory tariffs
California exported $23.6 billion in agricultural products in 2022, according to the US Trade Representative.
California's almond industry faces uncertainty amid the recent tariffs of the Trump administration. GavinGovinNewsom advocates for foreign countries to exempt Golden State exports from trade retaliation. (Getty Images/Getty Images via Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu)
Newsom on April 4th directed states to pursue “strategic” ties with countries that announce retaliatory tariffs against the United States, urging them to exclude California-made products from those taxes, Fox News Digital reported.
On April 4th, Newsom directs states to pursue “strategic” ties with countries that announce retaliatory tariffs against the US, urging them to exclude California-made products from those taxes (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/Getty Images)
It came days after President Donald Trump outlined baseline collection of 10% of goods imported from abroad and the “individualized mutually high” tariffs in a given country.
“That's what I'm looking forward to because I understand that this can help us in the future,” Jenny Halterman, a fourth-generation almond farmer, told Gorden about the tariffs. “I don't see this as a short game. This is a long game and helping him try, you know, try, so we can see it.
Gorden reported that retaliatory tariffs are “unfamiliar territory” for farmers in Almond, California, and a University of California study found that losses from foreign trade retaliation between 2018 and 2022 remained at nearly $900 million tariffs on state almond producers.
This is all countries working on trade deals with the US.
Almost all of America's almonds take place in Golden State, according to the California Almond Commission. The state's industry is also responsible for 80% of the world's almond production.
Almost all of America's almonds take place in Golden State, according to the California Almond Commission. (Getty Images/Getty Images via Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu)
According to Gorden, some almond farmers hope Newsom will “focus on California, focus on reducing regulations, and make sure there is enough water for farmers.”
The minimum 10% tariff was made public on April 5th. Meanwhile, Trump's mutual tariffs are scheduled to come into effect Thursday.
Trump's mutual tariffs are expected to come into effect Thursday. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images / Getty Images)
Some countries want to come to the negotiation table with the US in trade amid new tariffs.
Scott Bescent says up to 70 countries want to negotiate over Trump's tariffs
“There are 50, 60, and perhaps 70 countries that are approaching us,” Treasury Scott Bescent told Fox Business' Larry Kudrow on Monday. He said it would be “until busy April, May, perhaps June.”
Jamie Joseph of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
