Collins says certain Canadian goods now tariff-exempt

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced Friday that nine categories of Canadian products “crucial for Maine’s agricultural industries” will be exempted from U.S. tariffs.

The types of exempted goods include paperboard cartons, plastic boxes, refrigeration equipment, agricultural cleaning and sorting machinery, packing and wrapping machinery and seaweed and algae products, among others, according to a press release from 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,” the Maine senator said Friday in a post on the social platform X.

She added, “In my repeated conversations with Ambassador Greer, Secretary Lutnick, and other senior Administration officials, I have asked for tariff relief for these important products and I will continue working directly with Administration officials to seek additional relief and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbor, ally, and largest trading partner.”

White House spokesperson Matthew Middleton told The Hill in a statement that the president signed a proclamation Friday “further refining the scope of the tariffs on certain Canadian products previously announced on July 20, 2026 and modified on September 8, 2026.”

“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,” Middleton added.

In late August, Collins criticized President Trump’s decision to impose sweeping 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade negotiations between Washington and Ottawa fell through. Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, announced shortly after that his government would match these duties “dollar for dollar.”

The Maine Republican reiterated her concerns when the U.S. threatened additional duties on its northern neighbor, set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2027.

“I still think imposing new tariffs on Canada is a mistake,” Collins said after Trump proposed the New Year’s Day taxes.

In September, the senator announced the exemption of two products — road salt and cement — from the U.S. tariffs on Canada, after she sent a letter to the Trump administration explaining how crucial they are for Maine’s economy.

“I mentioned in a letter to the Administration that Frenchville, a small Maine town on the Canadian border, would incur $10,000 in extra costs for road salt, threatening the town’s ability to provide municipal services. I also shared that I had heard from Maine ready-mix cement company owners, one of whom told me his company would pay $150,000 each month because of this tariff,” Collins said at the time.

Friday’s announcement comes less than two weeks ahead of the midterm elections, where Collins will face off against Democrat Troy Jackson, a former state lawmaker, for a seat in the Senate. The Hill’s election forecasting partner Decision Desk HQ gives Jackson a 55 percent chance of winning the race against the incumbent Republican.