Federal judge dismisses California lawsuit over Trump tariffs for jurisdiction issue

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta over President Trump's tariffs because the case was brought in the incorrect jurisdiction.

District Court Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in her ruling Monday said the case should have been filed in the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade rather than the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Politico reported.

However, instead of immediately transferring the case to the trade court, as Trump's attorneys had requested, Scott Corley dismissed it outright, allowing California's request to leave a path open to appeal the ruling to the liberal-leaning U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The offices of the governor and state attorney general said Monday that the state had already appealed the decision.

“We strongly believe this case belongs in federal district court and are pleased the court considered our wishes in dismissing this case so we have the opportunity to seek review,” Bonta said in a statement.

California filed the lawsuit in April, becoming the first state to sue over Trump's tariffs. A week after the state filed its lawsuit, a coalition of a dozen states sued the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade over the tariffs, which struck them down on Wednesday.