Trump lifts some Canada tariffs in boost for Maine senator ahead of midterms
Blueberries, potatoes, apples and some packaging and machinery are exempted, a win for Republican Susan Collins ten days before the US midterm elections.
President Donald Trump has removed some US tariffs on Canadian goods, a move the White House said would "better serve the public interest" and one that hands a win to Susan Collins, the Republican senator for Maine who faces a tight re-election race. Collins said the exemptions cover nine agricultural products, including blueberries, potatoes, apples and seaweed.
The White House said certain processing materials and equipment, such as plywood sheets, packing boxes, paper products and some machinery, would also be taken out of the tariffs. Many Maine farmers and businesses near the border depend on specialised equipment and supplies from Canada that Collins said are unavailable from American suppliers or too expensive to replace.
The administration described the step as a refinement of tariff actions announced on 20 July and 8 September, aimed at offsetting what it calls Canada's discriminatory trade measures. Trump also signalled that some exempted goods could be replaced by tariffs on other products.
Collins, in the Senate for nearly 30 years, is running against Democrat Troy Jackson, a state senator and former logger, in a race seen as a toss-up and crucial to whether Democrats can win control of the chamber on 3 November. Maine relies heavily on trade with Canada, and its traditional industries, from logging to lobster fishing, were expected to be hit by the trade war.