Trump exempts some Canadian imports from 50% tariffs

President Donald Trump is exempting some Canadian imports from 50% tariffs, with the changes scheduled to take effect October 30, as Republican Sen. Susan Collins seeks reelection in Maine. The White House said the exemptions were intended to offset burdens on U.S. commerce and serve the public interest. The White House identified plywood sheets, packing crates and some machinery among the goods receiving relief. Collins’s campaign said the administration would lower tariffs on nine types of products important to Maine industries, but did not list them in its statement. The full product schedule was not included in the administration’s announcement described in the reports. Collins said she had asked administration officials for relief, citing the costs tariffs impose on Maine families, businesses, farmers and growers. She spoke with trade negotiator Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to her statement. Her office pointed to specialized harvesting boxes used by Maine wild blueberry growers as an example of Canadian products that may lack suitable U.S. alternatives. Before the White House described the exemptions, people familiar with the prospective...