(The Center Square) — Maine’s two U.S. senators are asking the Trump administration to provide financial support for the state’s forest products industry as many companies struggle with the impact of tariffs.
In a letter to Trump administration officials, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Angus King, I-Maine, said they are “gravely concerned” about the impact of the tariffs imposed on imports of timber and lumber on the state’s multi-billion dollar forest products industry.
“This industry is part of Maine’s heritage, boosting our state’s economy, creating thousands of good-paying jobs in rural communities, and providing essential products to consumers across the United States,” they wrote. “As such, we request that the Administration provide immediate and meaningful relief to this industry, which is already struggling to survive.”
The lawmakers pointed out that Maine’s forest economy is “deeply intertwined” with Canada, with the state exporting roughly two million tons of wood and imported 2.3 million tons to the country. But after the timber and lumber tariffs went into effect in October, forestry products and shipments from Maine exporters couldn’t reach their destination, “causing widespread confusion and disrupting supply chains,” they said.
Trump announced “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from about 90 nations in April, with a 10% across-the-board tariff applied to all affected countries’ imports. The president declared it a “national emergency” and said the tariffs are needed to whittle down a trade deficit with other countries, ranging from China to the European Union.
Last week, Trump signed an executive order to lift tariffs on certain goods produced internationally, including coffee, bananas and beef, among others. The tariff relief follows public concerns over rising prices of consumer staples and criticism from business groups about the impact of the tariffs on employers. The Trump administration is also provided direct relief to farmers who have been disproportionately impacted by the tariffs.
“We are aware that the Administration is considering measures to provide aid to agricultural industries that cannot weather the headwinds in global markets as a result of the tariffs,” the lawmakers wrote. “Accordingly, we believe that the forestry products industry should be eligible and included in any relief program.”
Collins and King said Maine sawmills are “holding back” on investments, with some cancelling planned expansions. They said the concern is that it has already become financially unfeasible for some mills to operate at full capacity which will only be “exacerbated” as trade negotiations lumber on under the tariffs.
“Our state has already lost more than half our mills over the past thirty years from our peak, and risk of future mill closures is high,” the lawmakers wrote. “The impact of these closures will be felt acutely by Maine people, nearly 30,000 of whom rely on this industry for their jobs, as well as Americans struggling with the ongoing affordability crisis and lack of adequate housing supply.”
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Overall, Northeast states — especially those along the northern border — are heavily reliant on Canadian imports, federal trade data shows. Canada is the New England region’s largest single trading partner, accounting for $27 billion in goods last year, the data shows.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, has said more than $6 billion in cross-border commerce with Canada is “at risk” because of the tariffs.
