President Trump on Friday exempted some specific Canadian products from his 50% tariffs in a bid to help Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and other Republican lawmakers facing tough election battles, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Collins, who is running neck and neck with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, said on X that she has requested tariff relief from the Trump administration on “products from Canada that are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense.” The products are used in the agricultural sector and include paper and plastic packaging materials, refrigeration equipment and farm machinery.
“I am pleased to have secured additional tariff exemptions [for] products crucial to Maine’s agricultural industries, including blueberry, potato, apple, and seaweed producers,” Collins said.
Collins added that she will “continue working directly with Administration officials to seek additional relief from tariffs and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbor, ally, and largest trading partner.”
Collins has highlighted previous tariff exemptions she says she secured from Trump, who has used tariffs to punish Canada and other trading partners, though at the expense of American businesses and consumers, especially in places like Maine that are tightly integrated with the Canadian economy.
Jackson, her opponent, said Friday that Collins still hasn’t done enough. “Trump’s trade wars have made life harder and more expensive for Mainers,” Jackson said on X. “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.”
The White House said it will add new categories to the list of Canadian products being hit with 50% tariffs, including “certain valves, carpets, waste products, and others.” Trump “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,” a White House spokesperson said.