White House to ease tariffs on some Canadian goods from 30 October

The White House said the US will ease tariffs on some Canadian goods from 30 October. The products include plywood sheets, certain paper products, machinery and refrigeration equipment.

The US previously imposed 50% tariffs on $20bn of Canadian goods after trade talks broke down in August. Washington said tariffs would not be eased across the board: some packing crates and boxes will be covered by relief, while tariffs will be introduced on carpets and waste products.

The announcement came less than two weeks before the US midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is seeking re-election in Maine, said she had pressed the administration for exemptions covering products important to the state’s blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers.

Canada’s response and negotiations

Canada has imposed a series of countermeasures against US tariffs. Prime Minister Mark Carney called them necessary to protect Canadian workers, while Internal Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Ottawa was ready to work towards a mutually beneficial trade agreement.

Carney said Canada could sign a deal if the US was ready, but would wait as long as necessary. LeBlanc also confirmed that a Canadian delegation had met the Canada-United States Economic Relations Advisory Committee; it was the committee’s ninth meeting since April 2026.

Political criticism in the US

Collins’s Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson, accused her of supporting policies that had made life more expensive for Mainers and then seeking credit for the tariff relief.

Republican Michigan lawmaker Mike Rogers has also called on Donald Trump to end the standoff. The White House said the changes reflected Trump’s efforts to defend American workers and ensure fair trade.