The Trump administration is rolling back a slate of tariffs on Canadian products that disproportionately hurt residents in Maine and similar states, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced Friday.
The new policy will exempt nine categories of products from the high tariffs the Trump White House imposed on Canada this summer after trade talks collapsed.
The announcement comes just 11 days before the midterm elections, when voters have expressed concerns about the cost of living and the state of the economy in numerous national and state polls. Control of the Republican-controlled House and Senate is up for grabs.
Collins is among the most endangered Republican incumbents on the ballot this year, the only Republican senator running in a state Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won in 2024. Announcing the tariff rollback gave her an opportunity to show that she can sway President Donald Trump on some issues — a key point in her reelection effort.
The products on which tariffs will be rolled back include corrugated paper cartons and boxes; plastic boxes, cases and crates; refrigeration and freezing equipment; agricultural cleaning, sorting and grading equipment; certain types of machinery; and seaweed and algae products for human consumption, according to a list provided by Collins’s office.
“Many of our farmers and growers rely on specialized equipment, packaging materials, and other products from Canada that are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense,” Collins said in a statement.
“In my repeated conversations with Ambassador [Jamieson] Greer, [Commerce] Secretary [Howard] Lutnick, and other senior Administration officials, I have asked for tariff relief for these important products and stressed the burdens additional costs impose on Maine businesses and families.”
Trump’s tariffs on Canada have especially hit residents of Maine, Michigan and New Hampshire, which border Canada. The economic impact has spilled into the three very competitive Senate races in those states.
Trump is scheduled to visit Michigan on Sunday for a rally intended to bolster enthusiasm among Republican and Republican-leaning voters.
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