Sen. Susan Collins Cites $170 Million in Maine Exposure as She Urges Resumption of Canada Trade Talks
U.S. Senator Susan Collins urged the Commerce Department and USTR to resume negotiations with Canada, arguing that U.S. tariffs and Canada’s planned retaliation would raise costs and uncertainty for Maine businesses and communities. Her letter estimated that approximately US$170 million of Maine goods could face the announced Canadian tariffs, with forest products representing about 62% of that exposure.[1]
U.S. Senator Susan Collins wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer urging the administration to resume negotiations with Canada and pursue what she described as a fair agreement. Collins asked the administration to remove recently imposed U.S. tariffs and to prevent Canada’s announced retaliatory tariffs from taking effect, arguing that the measures would increase costs, risk, and uncertainty for businesses and households in Maine.[1] Her letter is an appeal by a senator rather than evidence that formal talks have resumed or that either government has revised its tariff measures.[1]
The new information in Collins’ intervention is a state-level estimate of U.S. exposure to Canada’s announced retaliation. She said roughly US$170 million in Maine goods would be subject to the Canadian tariffs and that forest products account for about 62% of that total.[1] Collins described forestry as a major Maine industry, citing approximately 30,000 jobs and more than US$8 billion in economic contribution. She also said two paper mills, identified as the largest employers in their respective towns, had contacted her about increased costs and potential effects on employment.[1]
Collins additionally highlighted the importance of cross-border inputs to Maine municipalities. Her letter said Frenchville, a small border community that relies on Canadian road salt for winter road safety, expects its costs to rise by US$10,000 as a result of the tariffs.[1] That figure is a localized procurement estimate and does not establish a broader inflation outcome, but it illustrates how tariff exposure can reach public services as well as manufacturing and resource-based businesses in a border state.[1]
The senator said Canada had revised its initial counter-tariff plan to remove seafood and fish products, including lobster. According to Collins, inclusion of lobster could have exposed more than US$200 million in Maine lobster trade to tariffs across the supply chain.[1] The accessible source packet does not provide the complete revised Canadian product schedule, but Collins’ account indicates that Maine’s remaining reported exposure is weighted toward forest products rather than seafood.[1] Canada had suspended trade negotiations on August 21, citing changes to U.S. proposed terms and stating it would match a 50% U.S. tariff on roughly US$28 billion of Canadian goods, providing the context for Collins’ call without establishing any new official negotiating breakthrough.[2]
This is a noteworthy regional-impact update because Collins supplied a specific estimate of Maine goods exposed to Canada’s announced retaliation and identified paper and forest-product concerns. It rates a 3 rather than a higher score because the letter does not change any tariff, implementation date, or official negotiating position; its evidence is limited to anticipated exposure in one U.S. state.[1]