US trims Canadian tariffs under election pressure ahead of midterms
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Facing mounting political heat before the U.S. midterm elections, the Trump administration will cut its punishing 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods from 30 October while keeping or adding duties on others.
The White House announced on Friday that the United States will lower the 50% tariff on a range of Canadian goods, including plywood sheets, certain paper products, specific machinery and refrigeration equipment, starting 30 October. At the same time, new duties will be slapped on items such as carpets and waste products, underscoring the administration’s erratic approach to trade policy.
Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is seeking re-election in Maine, said the exemptions would benefit the state’s agricultural sector, which relies heavily on cross-border trade. Collins told the BBC she had repeatedly pressed senior Trump officials for relief and promised to keep pushing the administration for a broader trade agreement that would at least stop punishing local industries.
The tariffs, imposed after trade talks collapsed in August, affect about $20 billion of Canadian imports. Canada has responded with countermeasures, which Prime Minister Mark Carney described as “necessary to protect our workers.” Carney added that Canada remains ready to negotiate a mutually beneficial deal, saying, “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.” Canada’s internal trade minister Dominic LeBlanc said the country is prepared to work constructively and in good faith toward a trading relationship that respects Canadian interests. The timing of the tariff adjustments comes less than two weeks before the U.S. midterm elections, which will determine congressional control for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term.