‘It’s just getting worse’: anger in Maine over Trump’s trade war with close neighbor Canada
President’s tariffs have hurt fishers, loggers and others in a state with deep bonds to Canada – will voters show their displeasure in the midterms? It was an ideal summer to cut trees. The weather in Maine’s Penobscot county – one of the most heavily forested counties in a state dense with trees – was warm and dry. Yet even as the county’s wood had grown to an ideal size to harvest, the machines…
Maine residents are growing increasingly frustrated with President Trump's trade war against Canada, as the tariffs have had a direct impact on the state’s logging industry, which is deeply intertwined with its economy. The weather in the state’s Penobscot County – known for its dense forests – was warm and dry, yet few of the machines used by local logger Molly London and her husband were in operation.
This was due to the high cost of replacement parts, which had become unaffordable as tariffs made them more expensive to import. Frustration grew to the point where London and her husband decided to shut down their logging business in August, citing the rising costs as the primary reason. Maine has long been tied to logging, with Penobscot being dubbed the "lumber capital of the world" in the 19th century.
The industry remains a crucial bellwether for the state's overall economic health, and the current trade war is causing significant stress for local loggers. Despite the state's strong liberal support and no Republican presidential vote since 1988, the Democratic party is struggling to make inroads against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.
The party hopes that the frustration over the trade war with Canada will inspire voters to unseat Collins, who has been a key figure in the Senate for 29 years and is chair of the powerful appropriations committee.
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