Susan Collins blasts US tariffs on Canada: ‘There’s just nothing good you can say about them’

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) blasted President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, warning that the trade measures are hurting Maine families and businesses as she heads into the final stretch of her reelection campaign.Collins said in a recent interview that the tariffs are particularly damaging to Maine because of the state’s deep economic ties with Canada. “[The tariffs] are terrible for families in Maine, for our lobstermen and women, for our small businesses, for our manufacturers, for our farmers,” Collins told Politico. “There’s just nothing good you can say about them.” The Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs last month on a wide range of Canadian goods, including hockey sticks, wine, cement, lumber, and certain apparel and beauty products. Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying the country would match U.S. trade penalties “dollar for dollar, rate for rate.”Collins said she recently spent about a half-hour speaking with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer about the impact of the tariffs, particularly on Maine’s economy.“I was able to point out to the ambassador all the problems that they create for families in Maine,” Collins said, citing blueberries, lobster, lumber, and potatoes as examples. “[Many] of those products are produced in Maine but processed in Canada, meaning they can be subject to tariffs in both directions.”“If they’re going to be tariffed in both directions now, that makes it unaffordable,” Collins said.Collins also criticized Trump for failing to consult Congress, particularly lawmakers from Canadian border states, before imposing the tariffs.“It is hard for me that he often does not consult at all with Congress before taking positions,” Collins said. “I think it would have been great if he took those of us who represent border states and said, ‘What does this mean to you?’”For Collins, the issue is also personal.“My younger brother, Sam, is married to a French-Canadian. I have four nieces who are dual citizens. I grew up literally 20 minutes from the Canadian border,” she said, emphasizing the long-standing ties between northern Maine and Canada.“I just can’t stress enough how intertwined Maine and Canada are, particularly in the border areas,” Collins said, pointing to the annual Can-Am Crown sled dog races in Fort Kent, where Canadian and U.S. teams compete.“You hear on the streets in northern Maine a patois that is a mixture of English and French — very common,” she said. “So we’re so close; they’re family.”Asked what she would tell Trump about the tariffs, Collins said she would remind him that Canada is not an adversary like China.“I would remind him that Canada is our friend, our closest ally, and our biggest trading partner,” Collins said. “This is not China that we’re talking about. This is an adversarial country, and that our economies are so linked that if you try to hurt one, you end up hurting me and other border states.”Collins previously called the tariffs a “mistake” and urged the U.S. and Canada to “return to the negotiating table.”The trade dispute has become particularly consequential for Maine’s lobster industry. Last week, Canada reversed some retaliatory tariffs on U.S. seafood following backlash from its own seafood sector. The move means Maine’s lobster industry will no longer face a 25% import fee in Canada.The tariffs have drawn criticism from politicians across the political spectrum, including Collins, Sen. Angus King (I-ME), and Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson.OVER 10,000 CANADIANS SIGN PETITION FOR REMOVAL OF US AMBASSADORThe trade fight comes as Collins, a six-term senator, faces Jackson in November, with Democrats hoping to flip her seat as they seek to regain control of the Senate.Trump, meanwhile, has continued to escalate his rhetoric toward Canada during the trade dispute. He signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America,” arguing that Canada has “been ripping us off for a long time on trade.”