Presumptive Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson warned his party in 2016 that Donald Trump’s message against free trade may resonate with many Americans.
The former Allagash logger and eventual Maine Senate president opposed a trade deal with Pacific nations that year, saying it could weaken labor standards and ship manufacturing overseas. An ally of independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, also a frequent critic of free trade, Jackson said he’d vote for Hillary Clinton if she became Democrats’ nominee, but questioned whether she’d make trade deals benefiting Mainers.
He told the Bangor Daily News at the time that he understood why many “may get enamored” with Trump’s rhetoric. But he was far from a supporter, saying that when people looked at his plans, “you’ll see that he’s probably going to make it worse for people.”
Jackson was far ahead of other Democrats in predicting Trump’s threat as an opponent in rural areas like his. Now he is firmly in the party’s mainstream in opposing Trump’s ongoing trade wars, which saw the president threaten to increase tariffs 50% on certain Canadian goods next month in retaliation for the country’s tariffs on American cars, trucks, dairy and alcohol.
As he gears up for a race against Sen. Susan Collins with control of the chamber on the line, Jackson is among those on both sides of the aisle, including Collins, who have criticized Trump’s broad tariffs and warned that new duties on Canada could directly hit Maine industries and consumers struggling with high prices exacerbated by an unpopular war with Iran.
“Canadians have always been a big part of our economy here,” Jackson told Maine Newsroom in March during his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid. “That’s actually slowed down a lot. But also a lot of the products we get from there have ended up costing a lot more now.”
Jackson has criticized Collins for not taking enough action. Collins, who described Jackson as a “socialist” and a “Bernie bro” this week, pressed the Trump administration to hammer out a resolution before the new tariffs on Canada go into effect on Aug. 19.
“Canada is the state of Maine’s most important trading partner, and our economies and supply chains are deeply intertwined,” she said in a statement. “Imposing an additional 50% tariff on a broad range of Canadian goods will increase costs for Maine families and create greater uncertainty for our manufacturers, farmers and small businesses.”
The state’s blueberry industry is particularly vulnerable. It’s already been hurt by tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, which raised equipment prices for Maine blueberry producers and farmers at large.
Former Maine Senate Majority Leader Sharon Treat, D-Hallowell, who served with Jackson on Maine’s Citizen Trade Policy Commission, said both of them long took issue with provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement, particularly on labor and environmental protections and conditions that led to some manufacturers leaving the state and eventually the country altogether.
But it’s possible to push for fair trade and even targeted tariffs without creating uncertainty, said Treat, a delegate for Jackson in the Maine Democrats’ nominating convention on Saturday. She said that she didn’t know how big an issue tariffs and trade would be in the midterms, partly because Trump “changes his tune so erratically.”
“The economic policies of this administration, either bolstered or left unchecked by Congress, are hurting the bottom line for Maine households and families,” Garrett Martin, CEO of the liberal Maine Center for Economic Policy, said. “It’s creating uncertainty and hurting businesses, and it’s compromising the stability of our communities.”
Martin cited a significant reduction in border crossings by Canadians starting last year, leading to border communities seeing lower sales tax returns. Canadian imports of American motor vehicles have decreased by approximately 22%, totaling more than $5.5 billion, according to a White House memo released this week. The newly proposed 50% tariffs, which fall under a different legal mechanism than emergency tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court in February, are already sparking legal questions.
“This undoubtedly will be challenged in the courts,” Martin said. “There are multiple pathways for the executive branch to pursue its agenda, unless and until the legislative branch says, ‘Hold on a second.’”
Asked about Maine lawmakers’ critique of the new tariffs, Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, said the president’s tariffs “have secured new trade deals and trillions in investments to make in America.”
“The Trump administration remains focused on cutting taxes, slashing regulations and unleashing American energy to deliver more relief for the American people,” he said.