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The Trump administration announced on Friday that it would lift some of its 50% tariffs on Canadian goods starting 30 October, less than a fortnight before US midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. The White House said exemptions would apply to products including plywood sheets, certain paper products, specific machinery and refrigeration equipment, as well as some packing crates and boxes.
At the same time, new tariffs will be imposed on other Canadian goods, including carpets and what the White House described as “waste products.” The administration framed the overall action as reflecting President Donald Trump’s “continued efforts to defend American workers and ensure fair trade.”
“President Trump continues to address Canada’s discriminatory treatment of US commerce,” White House spokesman Matthew Middleton said in a statement.
Collins claims credit ahead of tight Senate race
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine announced the exemptions before the White House did, saying she had repeatedly lobbied senior Trump officials for tariff relief. Collins, who faces a competitive re-election contest, wrote on X that the exempted products were “crucial to Maine’s agricultural industries, including blueberry, potato, apple, and seaweed producers.” She said she 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.”
Maine shares a border with the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec, and its economy is closely tied to cross-border trade. Michigan Republican lawmaker Mike Rogers has also called on Trump to end the broader trade standoff, after months of supporting the policy in campaign advertisements in his trade-reliant state.
Collins’ Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, was dismissive of the announcement. “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.”
The tariff dispute’s origins
The US imposed a 50% levy on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade negotiations between the two countries collapsed in August. Trump justified the tariffs on grounds of what he called “unequal treatment” of American cars, dairy and alcohol. Canada responded with a series of countermeasures, and Prime Minister Mark Carney last month matched US tariffs “dollar for dollar,” describing the retaliatory steps as “necessary to protect our workers.”
On Friday, Trump said Canada was “working very hard” on a trade deal with the United States. Carney, speaking to Canadian broadcaster CBC, said Ottawa remained open to a mutually beneficial agreement but was 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.
Ottawa cautious in response
Canada’s internal trade minister Dominic LeBlanc stopped short of welcoming the move. “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,” he said in a statement to the BBC.
LeBlanc also confirmed on Thursday 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 ongoing impact of US tariffs on the Canadian economy.
The partial rollback leaves the broader 50% tariff regime intact and does not resolve the fundamental dispute that has strained relations between the two neighbours since talks broke down in August. The midterm elections on 4 November will decide whether Republicans retain their congressional majority or cede it to Democrats, shaping the legislative landscape for the remainder of Trump’s term.