Trump administration drops some Canada tariffs important to Maine
The White House on Friday cut some US tariffs on Canadian goods, including several agricultural products and equipment. Senator Susan Collins, who faces a tight re-election race in Maine, announced the changes.
The administration of US President Donald Trump on Friday removed some tariffs on Canadian goods, saying it was acting to better serve the public interest. The changes were announced by Susan Collins, the Republican senator for Maine, who is facing a tight re-election campaign. That race will help determine whether Democrats can win control of the US Congress.
Which goods are affected
Collins said the exemptions would cover nine agricultural products, including blueberries, potatoes, apples and seaweed. She noted that many of the state's farmers depend on specialized equipment and materials from across the border that are unavailable from American suppliers or could not be replaced without significant expense.
The White House also specified that certain processing equipment and materials, such as plywood sheets, packing boxes, paper products and some machinery, would be taken off the tariff list. These items can be vital to Maine businesses near the border. The administration said it was refining the scope of its July 20 and September 8 actions so they continue to offset the burden on US commerce from Canada's discriminatory measures.
The political backdrop
Collins has served in the Senate for nearly 30 years. She is running against Troy Jackson, a Democrat who has served in the Maine state senate and was formerly a logger. The race is seen as crucial to Democratic hopes of flipping the chamber and is currently considered a toss-up.
The trade dispute has hit a nerve in Maine, which relies heavily on trade with Canada. Long-established industries such as logging, lobstering and fishing were expected to suffer. Earlier this week Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said US tariffs hurt households on both sides of the border, adding that Canadian auto exports to the US have fallen 10% and US exports to Canada have dropped by more than 20%.
After Trump imposed a 50% tariff on certain Canadian goods starting 22 August, Canada announced retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on $20bn worth of American goods. It later withdrew its tariffs on American seafood, which particularly helped Maine's fisheries.
Collins has often distanced herself from Trump's trade policies. According to a New York Times analysis, she has broken with her party more than any other Republican senator, though her efforts to vote against Trump's policies have rarely succeeded in his second term. Jackson has frequently used this line of attack and, in a debate earlier this month, also pointed to Collins's crucial vote to confirm Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh.
