Collins says Trump administration will drop tariffs on nine Canadian product categories

The Trump administration will exempt several categories of Canadian imports from tariffs, Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said Friday. Tariffs are taxes on imported goods, and businesses often pass the cost on to customers. ¹²

The exemptions cover nine product categories, including corrugated paper, plastic boxes and packing bags, refrigeration equipment, several kinds of machinery, and seaweed and algae products. ¹ Collins also named blueberry, potato and apple producers as beneficiaries. ²

NBC News reported that the canceled tariffs include 50% duties on some agricultural and forestry items. Those duties were imposed after Canada withdrew from trade talks with the administration in late August. ²

The White House and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. ¹ The Wall Street Journal first reported the exemptions earlier Friday afternoon, according to CNBC. ¹

From Channel GOPJackson: Collins could defund the Iran warTroy Jackson · 153 plays · captioned, with the source named

Collins' case and her opponent's

Collins said she had asked U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for relief. She said she would keep pressing for "additional relief from tariffs" and a broader trade deal with Canada. ¹²

What about everything else? We can't eat road salt.

Maine buys more from Canada than from any other foreign country, and the tariffs have strained its businesses. ¹ Collins' Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson, has tried to tie her to Trump's unpopular tariffs. ¹

At their Oct. 6 debate, Collins took credit for removing some items, including road salt, from the tariff list. Jackson answered with a line that now frames Friday's news: "What about everything else? We can't eat road salt." ¹

What it means politically

NBC News called the move "an implicit acknowledgement" that Trump's signature trade policy could be hurting Republican candidates. Collins' announcement did not mention Trump. It named only Greer, Lutnick and other administration officials. ²

The president has said of Canada, "there's nothing they have that we need." ² That makes a reversal days before the election notable. The Maine race is rated a toss-up, and voters have already started casting ballots. ¹³

Other Republicans have also distanced themselves from the trade war. Mike Rogers, running for a Senate seat in Michigan, told NBC News last week he would like the trade war with Canada "wrapped up." ²

What happens next

Neither article says when the exemptions take effect or how much they will save. Most Canadian goods still face tariffs, and the administration has not yet commented. ¹²

Election Day is Nov. 3. Whether more relief follows may depend on how voters respond in Maine and in other close races. ¹²

The Record

1. Sep 28, 2026Trump predicted Canada would drop its tariffs within three or four weeks. ²
2. Oct 6, 2026In a televised debate, Collins took credit for removing items such as road salt from the tariff list, and Jackson said "We can't eat road salt." ¹
3. Oct 23, 2026Collins announced exemptions on nine categories of Canadian imports. ¹²

Sources

1. CNBC, “U.S. dropping some Canada tariffs, Susan Collins says as trade war looms over Maine Senate race” (2026-10-23). cnbc.com/2026/10/23/trump-tariffs-canada-susan-collins.html
2. NBC News, “Trump administration cancels some Canada tariffs, Sen. Susan Collins says” (2026-10-23). nbcnews.com/business/economy/trump-cancels-canada-tariffs-su
3. PBS NewsHour, “What Maine voters are saying about the Collins-Jackson Senate race” (2026-10-22). pbs.org/newshour/show/what-maine-voters-are-saying-about-the

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