By John Geddie, Yoshifumi Takemoto and Trevor Hunnicutt TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When Tokyo's top trade negotiator met U.S. President Donald Trump for tariff talks at the White House earlier this month,

U.S President Donald Trump meets with Japan's Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa and his delegation in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 16, 2025. Molly Riley/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

California has surpassed Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom said, as he warned of the threat posed by President Donald Trump’s tariffs to the tech powerhouse’s fast-growing wealth.

GDP was surpassed by China in 2010 and Germany in 2023, positioning the country in fourth place until the latest figures were released.

California's economy has grown to overtake yet another foreign country, putting the state at the fourth-largest in the world if it were to be considered separate from the rest of the U.S.