Trump changes some Canada tariffs in bid to aid Maine senator

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is expanding tariff exemptions to more Canadian products, a move that may help boost Republican Senator Susan Collins’ reelection campaign in Maine.

Collins announced in a statement Friday that the exemptions would apply to certain paper, plastic, machinery and seaweed products, saying they would help the state’s rural and coastal economy, including the blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed industries.

“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,” she said.

President Donald Trump will amend the tariffs to add new ones to replace the exclusions so that the overall tariff impact is unchanged, a U.S. official said.

Tariffs on some Canadian imports — including certain plywood sheets, paper products, machinery and refrigeration equipment, and packing crates and boxes — would be replaced with duties on several categories of carpets, canoes, and coffins, among other things, according to a proclamation posted Friday. The changes will take effect Oct. 30.

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Collins, who is in a competitive reelection race, has touted her ability to secure tariff reductions that affect Maine consumers and businesses. Her office said she had pushed for additional exemptions during conversations with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson responded Friday that Collins “wants credit for bringing a cup of water to put out the fire,” arguing that she only acted because she is at risk of losing her seat.

“We deserve a Senator who stands up to Trump — not one who rubber-stamps his agenda and begs for relief from the chaos she helped create,” Jackson posted on X.

Trump previously exempted road salt and other products last month, following a request from Collins, at the same time that he announced a series of retaliatory measures after U.S.-Canada talks had collapsed. Canada also amended its own retaliatory duties to remove seafood products.

“The president is taking action in response to Canada’s continued discrimination against and additional retaliation targeting U.S. commerce, with the goal of protecting American farmers, manufacturers, and workers,” White House spokesman Matthew Middleton said in a statement.

The changes come with U.S.-Canada trade talks at a standstill. There have been no new substantive discussions since negotiations over a tariff deal imploded in August.

Collins is among the most endangered incumbent Senate Republicans this November, though Democrats have failed in previous efforts to unseat her. The move comes as national and state-level polls show voters giving Republicans poor marks over their handling of the cost of living and Trump’s war in Iran.

Collins has frequently defied polls and adverse political environments to maintain her seat, but she’s battling rising prices — including for housing and fuel — that have made life less affordable for many in Maine.

Jackson has hammered Collins over the tariffs, arguing she could better leverage her position as chair of the powerful appropriations committee to force Trump to drop them.

Collins has sought to distance herself from the president, saying in a recent debate that she’s “not exactly his favorite senator.”

The Republican senator has taken credit for pushing back on his tariff agenda, including by obtaining the road-salt exemption. That prompted her opponent Jackson to retort on the debate stage that Maine voters “can’t eat road salt.”

Beyond raising consumer prices and hurting Maine industries such as farming, the trade fight has damaged tourist destinations like Bar Harbor and Ogunquit, as Canadians angry at the president refrain from taking their usual vacations to the border state.

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With assistance from Laura Curtis.

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