President Donald Trump lifted some tariffs on Canadian imports on October 23, 2026, two weeks before the midterm elections, after Republican Sen. Susan Collins said she had lobbied for the change. The move comes as Collins faces a competitive race in Maine, a border state, and it marks a shift in the Trump Canada tariffs Collins has pressed for.
According to The Hindu (IN), the White House said the easing covers products including plywood sheets, some paper products, certain machinery and refrigeration equipment. PBS NewsHour headlines reported that the exemptions cover packing crates, plywood sheets and some machinery from 50% tariffs imposed on $20 billion of Canadian products over the summer, which take effect October 30.
CBS News US, citing a White House proclamation, listed the items no longer subject to 50% tariffs as corrugated boxes, crates, plastic sacks, packing machinery, refrigeration equipment and seaweed. The same outlet reported new 50% duties on shampoo, vinyl flooring, coffins, carpets and window-unit air conditioners. The lists differ across outlets and have not been fully reconciled, and the full proclamation was not available for review.
Collins said she secured the exemptions for products crucial to Maine’s agricultural industries, including blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers. She said she spoke with trade negotiator Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the toll tariffs are taking on Maine, according to PBS NewsHour headlines.
Democratic Rep. Richard Neal called the exemptions a desperate admission of failed trade policy and said they were politically motivated, according to CBS News US. The White House and Trump have not commented directly on the exemptions in the sources reviewed.
The dispute dates to 2025, when Trump started the trade war under a Depression-era trade law. He charged that Canada discriminates against U.S. dairy, auto and alcoholic beverage producers. Canada retaliated with tariffs of 15% to 50%. Trade talks broke down in August, and about $20 billion of Canadian goods, or 5.5% of Canadian exports to the U.S., were hit by Trump’s tariffs, according to The Hindu (IN).
Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson in the race, which Democrats are targeting as they seek control of Congress in the November 3 midterms. Jackson has not responded to the exemptions beyond an earlier debate remark quoted by CBS News US. In Ottawa, Dominic LeBlanc issued a single statement quoted by The Hindu (IN); no detailed Canadian government response was available.
New tariff measures, including levies on new Canadian goods, take effect October 30. Collins says she will seek additional relief and a broader trade agreement. No independent economic data on the effect of the exemptions on Maine farms was available.
The key facts rely heavily on reports from three outlets, and The Hindu (IN) was available only as a headline and short excerpts, so its figures rest on a single source.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.