Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced on Friday that the U.S. will issue tariff exemptions on several categories of Canadian imports. The move comes as voters have already begun casting ballots in the competitive Maine Senate race, where Collins' Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson, has criticized her ties to President Donald Trump's unpopular tariffs.
Collins has previously pushed back against Trump's protectionist trade policies, which have imposed heavy tariffs on a wide range of goods from Canada, the U.S.'s top economic partner. In their first televised debate on Oct. 6, Collins highlighted her efforts to remove certain items, like road salt, from Trump's tariff list. Jackson countered by questioning the broader impact, saying, "What about everything else? We can't eat road salt."
The latest exemptions apply to nine product categories, including corrugated paper, plastic boxes, refrigeration equipment, machinery, and seaweed and algae products. Collins emphasized the importance of these industries to Maine's economy, noting that many local farmers and growers rely on specialized equipment and packaging materials from Canada.
The White House and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the tariff exemptions, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.