U.S. may cancel duties on goods from Canada because of elections

The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering the possibility of eliminating duties of 50% on certain Canadian goods. Such a move could help Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins. This is reported by the newspaper “Wall Street Journal” with reference to sources.

According to the publication, the changes may affect some types of agricultural and forest products. The new terms of trade are expected to start on Friday.

Collins advocated easing tariff restrictions as they negatively affect Maine businesses and consumers. The state’s economy is heavily dependent on trade with Canada, making the issue of tariffs particularly important for local businesses.

Trade relations between Washington and Ottawa escalated in 2025 after Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports. The US administration attributed this decision to threats to national security and drug trafficking. Canada responded with its own restrictive measures.

Despite the temporary suspension of some tariffs and attempts to resolve differences, Washington later increased duties on steel and aluminum to 50%.

As previously reported by Bloomberg, the next round of trade negotiations between the two countries broke down at the last minute because of the position of US Secretary of Commerce Howard Latnick.