With just 11 days until the midterm elections, President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to roll back some of the 50% tariffs he placed on Canadian goods earlier this year. The move is aimed at helping Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in her reelection fight.
Sources told The Wall Street Journal the administration could lift tariffs on some agricultural and forestry products as early as Friday.
A White House official told the Journal that any tariff announcement would come from the administration and called the report speculation. The White House did not immediately respond to Mediaite’s request for comment.
Collins, 73, is locked in a tight race against Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, 58. She has publicly called Trump’s tariffs on Canada “a mistake.”
The tariffs have been a flash point in the race. During a debate between the two candidates, Collins touted her success in keeping road salt off the tariff list. Jackson shot back with a line that quickly made the rounds: “We can’t eat road salt.”
Trump launched the trade fight with Canada after talks between the two countries collapsed on Aug. 21. The breakdown led to the 50% tariffs and weeks of public sparring between the two governments.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by vowing to match American tariffs “dollar-for-dollar.” He also dismissed a series of Trump’s Truth Social posts, which ranged from a video of mutant Canada geese armed with machine guns to threats aimed at specific companies. Among those was Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier, which employs about 3,000 Americans.
The dispute also led Trump to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, setting off another round of outrage north of the border.
Maine, which shares a long border with Canada and depends heavily on cross-border trade, has been especially exposed to the fallout. That has made the tariffs a headache for Collins, who has tried to separate herself from the policy while running for another term.
The reported move to ease some tariffs comes as poll after poll shows a tough environment for Republicans heading into the midterms. Holding Collins’ seat is seen as important to the GOP’s hopes of keeping control of the Senate.
If the White House follows through, it would hand Collins a timely win on an issue her opponent has used against her. It would also be a rare retreat by Trump in a trade fight he has pursued aggressively for months.
