Key takeaways:
- The exemptions include goods used by Maine blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers.
- The White House said it would add tariffs on some other products while removing the duties.
- Democrat Troy Jackson criticized Collins over the trade war as the two compete for her Senate seat.
The Trump administration removed tariffs on some Canadian agricultural goods and business supplies on Friday, offering relief to Maine farmers and producers as Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces a close re-election race.
The exemptions cover products used by blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers, Collins said. Some of the goods had faced duties of 50%. A White House document confirmed the changes and said the administration would add tariffs on certain valves, carpets, waste products and other items to offset the duties it was removing, according to NBC News.
The White House said President Donald Trump was refining the tariffs to “better serve the public interest” while continuing to address what it called Canada’s discriminatory measures. The Guardian reported that the exemptions also include certain plywood sheets, packing boxes, paper products and machinery. Collins listed plastic boxes, crates, packing materials, refrigeration equipment, sealing and labeling machinery, film and foil among the affected goods.
“I am pleased to have secured additional tariff exemptions” for products crucial to Maine’s agricultural industries, Collins wrote on social media. She said many farmers and growers depend on Canadian equipment and materials that are “unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense.”
Collins said she had repeatedly sought relief in discussions with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other administration officials. She pledged to seek further exemptions and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, which she called a “neighbor, ally, and largest trading partner.” Her announcement did not mention Trump, NBC News noted; the White House announcement did not mention Collins.
Her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, accused Collins of seeking credit for easing a problem he said she had helped create. “Trump’s trade wars have made life harder and more expensive for Mainers,” he said. “Susan Collins enabled this chaos, voted to confirm the people behind it, and now wants credit for bringing a cup of water to put out the fire.” He added: “Mainers needed help long before Susan Collins needed saving.”
The Maine Senate race is considered a toss-up, The Guardian reported. NBC News reported that polls give Democrats a solid chance of winning majorities in both the House and Senate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Republican Mike Rogers, running for Senate in Michigan, told NBC News last week that he wanted the trade war with Canada “wrapped up.”
The tariffs have also drawn criticism from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. He said this week that U.S. auto exports from Canada had fallen 10% and U.S. exports to Canada by more than 20%, according to The Guardian. “US tariffs have upended a trade bargain that’s existed for decades,” he said, adding that they had raised costs for American families and created uncertainty for Ontario businesses.
Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on $20 billion worth of U.S. goods after Trump placed 50% duties on certain Canadian products, The Guardian reported. Canada later removed its tariffs on American seafood.
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