US lifts tariffs on some Canadian goods before midterm elections – BBC

US lifts tariffs on some Canadian goods before midterm elections  BBCTrump to Remove Some Tariffs on Canada in Bid to Help Susan Collins  WSJAhead of Tight Race, Trump Swaps Tariffs on Some Canadian Goods  The New York TimesTrump ends tariffs on some Canadian products, as Senator Collins faces close race  ReutersTrump rolls back some Canada tariffs as midterm election approaches  The Washington Post

From 30 October, tariffs will be eased on some products, including certain machinery, and placed on others, such as carpets. The Trump administration is lifting some of its 50% tariffs on Canadian goods two weeks before the midterm elections, after a Republican candidate in a key Senate race said she had lobbied for the change. Starting on 30 October, tariffs will be eased on products including "plywood sheets, some paper products, certain machinery and refrigeration equipment," the White House said on Friday. Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is in a tight race to keep her seat in Maine, first announced the exemptions, saying they would help her state's agriculture industry.

The US imposed a 50% levy on $20bn (£15bn) of Canadian goods after trade talks between the two countries collapsed in August. Canada has imposed a series of countermeasures against US tariffs, which Prime Minister Mark Carney said were "necessary to protect our workers". Last month, Carney matched the US tariffs "dollar for dollar" after the breakdown in talks. Trump had imposed them for what he called "unequal treatment" of US cars, dairy and alcohol. The White