What Donald Trump’s plan for heavy tariffs means for Maine-Canada trade

By Billy Kobin
The Bangor Daily News
November 26, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States, US East

President-elect Trump plan to place 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico will affect everything from logging to energy in Maine given Canada is its dominant trading partner. …Canada’s inclusion in the tariffs could harm Maine’s economy. However, heavy tariffs have played well here on the heels of mill closures, and Maine business leaders have long been expecting a tariff expansion. Canada is far and away Maine’s top trade partner, with the northern neighbor accounting for 70% of Maine’s imports and 31% of its exports this August. …Dana Doran, of the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast… said the duties on Canadian softwood lumber from Trump’s first term were different than tariffs but played an equalizing role. Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, a top Trump supporter in the state, opposed Trump’s softwood lumber policies when the two men overlapped in office, illustrating the complex nature of trade policy in Maine. 

Read More