The United States has announced plans to remove tariffs on selected Canadian products from October 30, offering partial relief in a trade dispute between the two countries less than two weeks before the US midterm elections.
The White House said the exemptions would cover goods including plywood sheets, certain paper products, machinery and refrigeration equipment. Some packaging materials, such as crates and boxes, will also be exempted, while new tariffs will apply to other products, including carpets and certain waste materials.
The decision follows the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on about $20bn worth of Canadian goods after trade negotiations between Washington and Ottawa broke down in August.
Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is seeking re-election in Maine, announced the exemptions after lobbying senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration. She said the move would support agricultural producers in her state, including blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed businesses.
Maine shares a border with the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec, making trade with Canada important to its economy.
The tariff relief comes amid mounting political pressure on Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump’s party retains control of Congress for the final two years of his presidency.
Collins said she would continue pushing for further exemptions and a wider trade agreement with Canada.
However, her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, criticised the move, arguing that the administration’s trade policies had increased costs for businesses and consumers. He also accused Collins of supporting the policies that created the economic difficulties she was now seeking to address.
The tariff dispute has also prompted concerns among other US lawmakers from states with strong economic ties to Canada, including Michigan Republican Mike Rogers, who has called for an end to the standoff.
Canada has responded to Washington’s trade measures with retaliatory tariffs. Prime Minister Mark Carney previously said the countermeasures were necessary to protect Canadian workers following what Ottawa considers unfair treatment of its exports.
Despite the latest exemptions, the White House maintained that its trade policy remained focused on protecting American workers and addressing what it described as discriminatory Canadian practices.
Canadian Internal Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Ottawa was reviewing the latest US measures but remained willing to pursue negotiations aimed at reaching a more balanced trading arrangement.
Carney also reiterated Canada’s readiness to negotiate, while indicating that his government would not rush into an agreement that failed to protect the country’s interests.
The two governments have continued discussions through the Canada-United States Economic Relations Advisory Committee, which held its ninth meeting since April 2026 to examine the impact of US tariffs on Canada.
Although the latest decision provides limited relief for selected industries, a broader resolution to the trade dispute remains uncertain.
