Some of the 50% tariffs the US has placed on Canadian goods are to be lifted ahead of the midterm elections, after a Republican senator said she had personally lobbied for the change. According to BBC News, the exemptions take effect from 30 October and cover products including plywood sheets, certain paper products, specified machinery and refrigeration equipment.
The US had imposed a 50% levy on US$20bn (£15bn) of Canadian goods after trade talks between the two countries broke down in August. Canada responded with a series of countermeasures, with Prime Minister Mark Carney matching US tariffs ‘dollar for dollar’ following that breakdown.
A senator’s lobbying effort, and a tight race
Republican Senator Susan Collins, who faces a close contest to hold her seat in Maine, was first to announce the exemptions publicly. She said she had repeatedly asked senior Trump officials for tariff relief and would ‘continue working directly with administration officials to seek additional relief and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbour, ally, and largest trading partner.’
Collins said the exempted products were ‘crucial to Maine’s agricultural industries, including blueberry, potato, apple, and seaweed producers.’ Maine shares a border with the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec, and its economy is closely tied to Canada’s.
Her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, was sceptical of her role in securing the relief. ‘Trump’s trade wars have made life harder and more expensive for Mainers,’ Jackson 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.’
Wider picture: new tariffs in, some out
The White House said that while duties would be removed from items such as certain packing crates and boxes, tariffs would at the same time be introduced on other goods, including carpets and waste products. A White House spokesman, Matthew Middleton, said: ‘President Trump continues to address Canada’s discriminatory treatment of US commerce.’
The administration said the move reflected President Trump’s ‘continued efforts to defend American workers and ensure fair trade.’
Canada’s internal trade minister, Dominic LeBlanc, said in a statement to the BBC: ‘While we assess these latest steps, Canada stands ready to work constructively and in good faith towards a more mutually beneficial trading relationship that respects Canada’s interests.’
On the same day, President Trump said Canada was ‘working very hard’ on a trade deal. Carney, speaking to Canadian broadcaster CBC, indicated Canada was open to an agreement but prepared to wait. ‘We could sign it this afternoon if the US were there. If it has to be months from now or longer than that, or another administration, before a proper deal comes into place, we will do that,’ he said.
LeBlanc separately confirmed that a Canadian delegation had met with members of the Canada-United States Economic Relations Advisory Committee (the ninth such meeting since April 2026) to discuss the continuing impact of US tariffs on Canada. Michigan Republican Mike Rogers has also called on Trump to end the trade standoff, after spending months supporting the policy in recent advertisements in his trade-reliant state. The midterm elections, due in early November, will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party or the Democrats control Congress for the remainder of his term.
