White House lifts tariffs on some Canadian goods as midterm elections loom
From 30 October, tariffs will be eased on some products, including certain machinery, and placed on others, such as carpets.
Key points
- The US will ease some 50% tariffs on Canadian goods from 30 October, two weeks before midterm elections.
- Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine announced the exemptions, saying they help her state's agriculture industry.
- Canada's Mark Carney said a deal could be signed now if the US were ready, but Canada is willing to wait.
The Trump administration is lifting some of its 50% tariffs on Canadian goods from 30 October, the White House said on Friday, less than two weeks before the US midterm elections. The exemptions cover products including plywood sheets, some paper products, certain machinery and refrigeration equipment.
Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is in a tight race to keep her Maine seat, first announced the exemptions, saying they would help her state's agriculture industry. The US imposed the 50% levy on $20bn of Canadian goods after trade talks collapsed in August.
New tariffs on other goods
The White House said tariffs would be lifted from some items, including some packing crates and boxes, but introduced on others such as carpets and waste products. It said the action reflected President Donald Trump's efforts to defend American workers and ensure fair trade.
White House spokesman Matthew Middleton said Trump "continues to address Canada's discriminatory treatment of US commerce". Canada's internal trade minister Dominic LeBlanc said Canada stands ready to work constructively towards a more mutually beneficial trading relationship.
We could sign it this afternoon if the US were there.
— Mark Carney
Reaction in Maine
Collins said she had repeatedly asked senior Trump officials for tariff relief and would keep seeking a broader trade agreement with Canada. She wrote on X that the exemptions covered products crucial to Maine's agricultural industries, including blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers.
Her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, said Trump's trade wars have made life harder and more expensive for Mainers, and that Collins enabled the chaos. Maine borders New Brunswick and Quebec, and its economy is deeply linked to Canada.
Canada weighs a deal
Trump said on Friday that Canada was working very hard on a trade deal with the US. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada was open to a mutually beneficial deal but willing to wait it out.
LeBlanc confirmed on Thursday that a delegation met members of the Canada-United States Economic Relations Advisory Committee, the ninth meeting since April 2026, to discuss the ongoing impact of US tariffs in Canada.
