White House officials announced on Friday, October 23, that President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order exempting a range of Canadian agricultural and forestry products from the 50 % tariff that had been imposed on them. The exemption will take effect on October 30, just four days before the U.S. mid‑term elections on November 3. Under the new order, Canadian goods such as plywood, certain paper products, wooden packaging boxes and cartons, specific machinery and refrigeration equipment, and fresh and dried seaweed will no longer be subject to the tariff. In compensation, the administration added other Canadian items—including carpets, paint, shampoo, cocoa powder, popsicle sticks, air‑conditioning units and canoes—to the list of products that will continue to face the 50 % duty. The move comes at a time when Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine is campaigning for reelection. Collins, who has long urged the White House to address tariff impacts on Maine businesses and farmers, said the exemption would benefit local producers of blueberries, potatoes, apples and seaweed. She noted that many Maine farmers rely on Canadian equipment and packaging materials that are difficult to replace in the United States and that the higher costs of alternatives have strained the local economy. Collins’ Democratic opponent, Senator Jack Jackson, criticized the administration’s trade policy, arguing that the tariffs have raised the cost of living for Maine residents and that the recent relief is insufficient. The two senators debated the issue during a televised debate on October 6. Analysts suggest the tariff relief could provide a boost to Maine’s agricultural sector and may influence voters in the state’s closely contested Senate race. Michigan and Maine are both economically linked to Canada, with significant trade in automotive parts, lumber and fruit‑harvesting equipment. Republicans will need to win both states to maintain their majority in the Senate.
Article source: Sing Tao Electronic Daily | Image credit: Sing Tao Electronic Daily