Trump Lifts 50% Tariffs on Select Canadian Goods to Aid Maine Businesses

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday lifting 50% tariffs on certain Canadian agricultural and industrial products. The move is expected to support businesses in Maine, where Republican Senator Susan Collins faces a tight reelection race in the upcoming midterm elections on November 3, according to Reuters.

Heavy tariffs previously imposed by Trump on Canadian imports created severe challenges for American businesses in Maine and other border states relying on Canadian goods. Collins had strongly urged the White House to address tariffs affecting local farmers and enterprises. The new order grants tariff exemptions for plywood, specific paper products, machinery, refrigeration equipment, packing crates, and fresh or dried seaweed. The policy shift takes effect on October 30, just days before the congressional elections.

"These producers are a vital part of our state economy and support our rural and coastal communities," Collins said. "Many of our farmers and growers rely on packaging materials and other products from Canada that are not available from US suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant costs."

To offset the exemptions, Trump added several other Canadian items to the 50% tariff list, including carpets, paints, shampoos, cocoa powder, wooden caskets, popsicle sticks, air conditioners, industrial freezers, and canoes. Meanwhile, Democratic challenger Troy Jackson criticized the decision, stating that trade disputes have driven up costs for local residents and arguing that Collins enabled the economic friction.

Trump originally imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports in August after bilateral trade talks collapsed. Canada responded in September with retaliatory tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on $20 billion worth of American goods.