Trump to exempt some Canadian products from tariffs amid midterm pressure

John Paul Tasker · CBC News

· Posted: Oct 23, 2026 2:44 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

U.S. President Donald Trump is poised to lift tariffs on some Canadian products as Republicans in border states lobby for relief from trade actions that have put them in a shaky political position ahead of November's midterms.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said on Friday that the Trump administration will scrap tariffs on some paper and plastic products, refrigeration equipment, agricultural machinery and seaweed and algae products, among others, after she relayed how damaging these levies have been for consumers and businesses in her state.

"I will continue working directly with administration officials to seek additional relief and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbour, ally and largest trading partner," Collins said in a social media statement announcing the changes.

Collins, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. upper house, is in a pitched battle for re-election in Maine as she tries to hold off a Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, who has made Trump's trade war with Canada a centrepiece of his campaign.

A moderate Republican who has sparred with Trump in the past, Collins had earlier pressured the administration to drop U.S. tariffs on products like road salt given her wintry state depends on Canadian supplies to keep the roads clear.

Another border state Republican Senate candidate, Michigan's Mike Rogers, has publicly called for an end to the trade war with Canada, saying the tariffs have raised prices at a time when inflation is already high.

Polls show Trump's trade war with Canada is deeply unpopular among American voters in both major parties.