Trump eases Canada tariffs ahead of US midterms

US President Donald Trump eases tariffs on Canada ahead of US midterms

The full report

US President Donald Trump has lifted some of the tariffs imposed on Canada amid an economic row with the US' neighbor to the north, which peaked this summer, according to DW News. The White House on Friday said the easing of tariffs will apply to products including plywood sheets, some paper products, certain machinery and refrigeration equipment. The move comes as Trump's Republican Party scrambles to maintain control of the US Congress, with a Republican candidate in a key Senate race saying she had lobbied to lift the tariffs on Canadian products.

The White House said the easing of tariffs will also impose new levies on goods including carpets, certain valves and waste products, DW News reported. The move comes less than two weeks ahead of the November midterm elections, where Republican candidate Susan Collins is locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in Maine, The Guardian — Business reported. Collins said on Friday she had addressed the tariffs with Trump's top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Collins said she was acting out of concern for the toll tariffs are taking on Maine families, businesses, farmers, and growers, The Guardian — Business reported. She added that she had asked for tariff relief and vowed to encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbor, ally, and largest trading partner, Collins said. Washington and Ottawa have been locked in a trade dispute since Trump returned to the White House last year, DW News reported.

The trade tensions intensified when talks broke down in August, with Trump announcing a 50% levy on some Canadian goods and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing retaliatory tariffs, DW News reported. On Friday, Trump told reporters that Canada is working very hard to make a deal with us, DW News reported.