Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) issued the following statement today in response to President Trump’s announcement of sweeping new tariffs on imports—including a 25% levy on goods from Maine’s largest trading partner, Canada:
“President Trump’s tariffs will have devastating consequences for Mainers and our economy, driving up costs for working families and destabilizing key industries that our state relies on. A 25% tariff on essential imports from Canada—including home heating oil, electricity, and raw materials for our mills and fisheries—is nothing more than an added tax on hardworking Mainers, who are already grappling with high costs. Rural communities will feel the brunt of these price hikes, particularly those in Aroostook and Washington counties who rely on electricity imported from New Brunswick. And let’s not forget the impact on our lobster industry, which is still recovering from previous trade wars and now faces potential retaliatory tariffs from Canada, a key processing hub for Maine-caught lobster.
“Tariffs can be a useful tool when implemented in a responsible, targeted way. But these broad, indiscriminate tariffs will only drive up costs for hardworking Americans and make it more difficult for businesses to stay competitive. We should be investing in policies that truly support domestic manufacturing—like the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act, which are already creating good-paying jobs here at home. These tariffs are bad policy, plain and simple.”
