US President Donald Trump has lifted tariffs on certain goods imported from Canada.
According to the White House, from 30 October, a number of Canadian goods will be removed from the list of items subject to tariffs.
The concessions will apply, in particular, to plywood sheets, certain paper products, specific types of equipment and refrigeration appliances.
The White House stated that Mr Trump is refining the scope of the measures introduced on 20 July and 8 September in order to ‘better protect the public interest, as well as ensure that these measures continue to effectively offset the burden or disadvantage faced by American businesses due to Canada’s discriminatory actions’.
Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is campaigning to retain her Senate seat for the state of Maine, which borders Canada, announced the exemptions from the tariffs. She said the decision would help the state’s agricultural sector.
“Many of our farmers and manufacturers rely on specialised equipment, packaging materials and other goods from Canada that are either unavailable from US suppliers or cannot be replaced without significant cost,” she wrote on social media platform X. Collins added that she had asked for tariffs on these essential goods to be reduced and would continue to work with representatives of the Trump administration to secure further concessions and advocate for a broader trade agreement with Canada.
On 3 November, the US will hold mid-term congressional elections: Americans will re-elect the entire House of Representatives and a portion of the Senate.