Trump takes his trade tussle global. Here’s what to expect

Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

• What to know as Trump takes his tariffs global.
• Former federal health chief Xavier Becerra announces a run for California governor.
• The best places to eat and drink this month, according to our food writers.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

It’s the U.S. versus ‘friend and foe alike’ as President Trump’s tariff tussle goes global.

Trump announced Wednesday that the U.S. would begin applying a universal baseline tariff of 10% on imported goods from all foreign countries. That’s in addition to existing tariffs imposed on Mexico, Canada and China. Some nations will be slapped with higher rates, including the European Union and India.

Trump called it “Liberation Day” as he accused nations around the world, both “friend and foe,” of having “looted, pillaged, raped and plundered” the U.S.

“This is one of the most important days, in my opinion, in American history,” Trump said during his announcement at the White House. “ It’s our declaration of economic independence.”

“This is one of the most important days, in my opinion, in American history,” President Trump said in announcing tariffs.

(Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press)

Canada and Mexico look to have escaped country-specific tariffs but are still contending with Trump’s earlier 25% tariff on many products. A few import taxes were imposed on the two major U.S. trade partners, though the broader tariffs have been delayed twice. But a pause on them expired Wednesday.

“These tariffs will remain in effect until such a time as President Trump determines that the threat posed by the trade deficit and underlying nonreciprocal treatment is satisfied, resolved, or mitigated,” administration staff wrote on the White House website. The new tariffs won’t include imports of copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber or bullion, the site states. Also excluded: “energy and other certain minerals that are not available in the United States.”

Several countries are expected to respond with their own tariffs against the U.S., which experts warn could turn Trump’s recent import skirmishes into a global trade war that could spiral into a recession.

“While Trump acknowledged the tariffs are likely to bring ‘a little disturbance’ to the markets, he has underscored that their purpose is to reignite the American economy,” The Times’ Faith E. Pinho, Michael Wilner and Kate Linthicum reported Wednesday. “White House officials have repeated that tariffs will be lifted on companies that decide to move their manufacturing to the U.S.”

What will this mean for our wallets?

Avocados imported from Mexico are on display at a grocery store in San Francisco. The cost of everyday purchases, including produce, is expected to rise.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

Trump has asserted multiple times that tariffs are paid by the foreign countries they’re imposed on. The reality is that importers — U.S.-based businesses — will be paying these tariffs. And to offset paying 25% to bring the products they aim to sell over the border, those businesses are expected to start charging customers more.

Given that the U.S. imports the most foreign goods of any nation, it’s likely you regularly purchase food, beverages, clothing, electronics and an array of other products that are shipped here from other countries. After Trump’s new tariffs take effect, expect the cost of many of those items to start rising. Some businesses might not do that right away, experts say, but if the added cost of importing starts affecting bottom lines, consumers can expect to make up for that.

That includes such everyday purchases as produce, toys and shoes but also major purchases including household appliances, new homes and, of course, new cars.

The U.S. auto industry is largely a misnomer, as new cars and trucks are built along a complex continent-spanning assembly line where car parts cross between Mexico, Canada and the U.S. multiple times before rolling to a dealership.

A worker loads new Subarus onto a transport truck in a storage lot at Auto Warehouse Co. in Richmond, Calif., on March 26.

(Bloomberg / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Now some Southern California car buyers are scrambling to avoid the looming price hikes, my colleagues Andrea Chang and Caroline Petrow-Cohen reported this week.

“Tariff-related price hike estimates vary depending on the vehicle,” they wrote, “but most industry experts predict new cars will cost several thousand more.”

Dining out could also get more expensive. The National Restaurant Assn. is warning that the tariffs will hit restaurants hard and have requested that food and beverages be exempt.

“Applying new tariffs at this scale will create change and disruption that restaurant operators will have to navigate to keep their restaurants open,” the trade group’s president and chief executive, Michelle Korsmo, wrote in a statement. “The biggest concerns for restaurant operators — from community restaurants to national brands — are that tariffs will hike food and packaging costs and add uncertainty to managing availability, while pushing prices up for consumers.”

It’s worth noting that the current trade deal among the three North American nations was signed by Trump in his first term. At that time, his administration trumpeted the agreement as “a tremendous victory for American workers, farmers, manufacturers, and businesses alike.”

Here’s more of our news coverage and opinion pieces on the tariff tussle:

• Trump’s tariffs reshaped manufacturing in Asia. This time, the ramifications are even broader.
• Guest commentary: Trump’s tariff strategy is worse than a gamble. It’s a surefire loser.
• Column: What will Trump’s tariffs “liberate” us from?
• Guest commentary: “Bring back American manufacturing”? It’s alive and stronger than ever.

Today’s top stories

A meadow at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada, where officials held California’s final snow survey of the season on March 28.

(Ken James / California Department of Water Resources)

For the first time in 25 years, California has a snowpack trifecta

• The year may have started with a dry spell, but the end of California’s storm season has brought more fresh snow to the Sierra Nevada, pushing the state’s snowpack to 96% of average on April 1, when the snow season typically reaches its peak.
• The near-average snowpack has given the state a third straight year of ample water supplies in the mountains.

Former federal Health Secretary Xavier Becerra announces a run for California governor

• Becerra joins a growing field of Democrats hoping to succeed termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. But a crucial question is whether former Vice President Kamala Harris will join the race, which would immediately jolt the contest.
• “Watching what’s unfolding before our eyes made it clear this is not a time to sit on the sidelines,” Becerra said in an interview.

More water recycling could help fix the Colorado River shortfall. California has a ways to go

• Analyzing data for large sewage treatment plants in seven states that rely on Colorado River water, UCLA researchers found California is recycling only 22% of its treated wastewater. That’s far behind the country’s driest two states: Nevada, which is recycling 85% of its wastewater, and Arizona, which is reusing 52%.

What else is going on

• After botched fire evacuations, L.A. County considers a disaster registry for the elderly and disabled.
• A federal judge is demanding a fix for L.A.’s broken homelessness system. Is receivership his next step?
• Disney plans to vacate the storied Fox lot in Century City by year’s end.
• A California woman is suing a Catholic hospital chain over an emergency abortion denial.
• The owner of Langer’s Deli says he’ll keep his restaurant open at least until these 3 things have happened.
• A famous French bistro is the latest victim in a wave of West Hollywood closures.
• A sunny, warm weekend is around the corner — but first, L.A. will get more rain.
• Bobby Sherman’s wife says the teen idol’s body is ‘shutting down’ due to terminal illness.

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Commentary and opinions

• The O.C. public defender who exposed the jailhouse snitch scandal is retiring, but not done, columnist Gustavo Arellano writes.
• The GOP thinks the court orders they used against Biden should be outlawed — because they now target Trump, writes columnist Michael Hiltzik.

This morning’s must reads

(Photo illustration by Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; Photos via Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times, Evan Agostini/AP)

Kanye West and the story of Donda Academy’s spectacular spiral. Less than four years after opening its doors, Donda was shuttered, leaving unanswered questions for many of those who attended the school and worked there. Lawsuits and interviews The Times conducted with nearly a dozen individuals with knowledge of the academy provide a fresh glimpse into the extraordinary dysfunction inside Donda and the erratic behavior of its controversial founder.

Other must reads

• His mother was killed before his eyes. Now a young boy struggles to rejoin his family.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your downtime

Going out

• 🍔 The best places to eat and drink this month, according to our food writers.
• 🎭 Time travel, ghosts and the end of the world: Inside Keiko Green’s surreal stage plays.
• 🎤🖼️ Our critics pick spring’s most anticipated L.A. arts, theater, classical music, pop and comedy shows.

Staying in

• 📺 Kevin Bacon is having a devil of a good time with “The Bondsman” — now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
• 🥮 Here’s a recipe for brown butter cinnamon crumb cake.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

And finally ... from our archives

(Steve Schapiro; courtesy of Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles)

On April 3, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered what became known as the “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech at an event for the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike. It was also his final speech. He was assassinated the next day.

Seven years ago, The Times reflected on King’s speech and how his death affected the nation.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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