Republican Sen. Susan Collins says some “tariff exemptions” will be granted on certain Canadian agricultural goods by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, with less than two weeks to go before the midterm elections.
In a post on social media, the senator said she was “pleased to have secured additional tariff exemptions for products crucial to Maine’s agricultural industries, including blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers.”
“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.
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“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.”
Neither Trump nor the White House have confirmed her statement as of publication and it is not clear whether any lifting of tariffs will include additional tariffs on other sectors, or how long any potential relief might last.
Global News has reached out to the White House for additional information.
Collins said the nine categories receiving “exemptions” include:
- Corrugated paper or paperboard cartons and boxes
- Plastic boxes, cases, crates, and similar items
- Plastic packing bags and sacks
- Refrigeration and freezing equipment
- Agricultural cleaning, sorting, and grading machinery
- Filling, sealing, closing, and labeling machinery
- Packing and wrapping machinery
- Non-adhesive plates, sheets, film, foil and strip
- Seaweed and algae products for human consumption
“Maine’s wild blueberry growers rely on specialized harvesting boxes from Canada that are designed to work with their existing and costly processing equipment,” she said. “Similarly, the American supplier of certain cardboard totes used across the agricultural industry recently discontinued production, leaving producers with no choice but to turn to Canada.”
The senator said Maine’s potato and apple growers rely on many of the same materials to bring their products to market.
“Additionally, as the demand for seaweed products in the United States grows, a tariff on Canadian seaweed has put dozens of Maine jobs at risk,” she said. “The removal of this tariff will help Maine companies succeed in this emerging industry.”
According to the latest poll from Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research, Collins and Democrat Troy Jackson sit neck and neck, each with 49 per cent of the vote.
The U.S. midterms are scheduled for Nov. 3.
More to come.
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