The escalating trade war between the U.S. and Canada could play into the upcoming midterm elections, including a key U.S. Senate contest in Maine.
The new Canadian levies would go into effect Sept. 8 and affect about $20 billion worth of goods, including seafood and wood products that are important to the Maine economy. The Maine Lobsterman’s Association, the leading trade group for the state’s iconic industry, warned Wednesday that the import duties would go into effect during the important fall fishing season when Canada purchases roughly half of Maine’s lobster catch.
The tariffs also affect key industries in other states where Republican congressional candidates face tough election fights, including steel, aluminum and some auto parts in Michigan, cheese products in Wisconsin, and washers and dryers in Kentucky where GE is a major employer.
Canada’s industry minister, Melanie Joly, suggested that the countertariffs were designed to have a political impact when asked directly about it by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
“We are putting pressure clearly on different states and different people. We don’t want to do that. We don’t want this trade war. We didn’t start it,” she said.
The dispute is already factoring into the U.S. Senate race in Maine, where Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is seeking a sixth term.
While Collins has opposed the American tariffs on Canada, Troy Jackson, her Democratic opponent, is blaming her for not doing enough to stop them.
“Trump restarting this trade war is a betrayal to our working families and broad tariffs act as a direct tax on Mainers,” Jackson posted on social media. “Susan Collins has completely failed to stop him. As always she’s got concerns about what these broad new tariffs will do to Maine, but she’s got no action.”
Collins said Wednesday that she has voted several times to terminate the tariffs on Canadian goods. She noted that many products made or harvested in Maine — such as potatoes, blueberries and lobster — are shipped to Canada for processing before being returned to Maine, making the final products “far more expensive.”
“This is not China we are dealing with,” Collins said during a brief interview after an event in Kenduskeag. “It is Canada, our best friend, a country with whom our economy is completely intertwined and with whom we have so many families that are linked as well.”
Collins, who chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, said she spoke for about half an hour Tuesday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who has been heavily involved with the on-again, off-again negotiations with Canada. Collins said she urged Greer to return to the negotiating table and said she stressed the importance of “making sure these tariffs are removed.”
“I think there will be other challenges in the courts as well, but it would be best if this were just addressed in a friendly way between two close allies,” Collins said.
Meanwhile, the lobsterman’s association is urging the Trump administration to quickly seek a resolution with Canada.
“Maine lobstermen should not become collateral damage in a broader trade dispute. Losing access to such an important market at the height of our fall season could be devastating to fishermen and coastal communities,” Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobsterman’s Association, said in a statement.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.