By Elena Vasquez

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that removed some Canadian goods from, and added others to, a list subject to a 50% U.S. tariff under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the White House said. The changes take effect Oct. 30.

CNBC reported that the 50% rate applies whether or not an item originates under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The tariffs stack on top of duties imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

Products coming off the list are:

• Plywood sheets.
• Some paper products.
• Certain machinery and refrigeration equipment.
• Certain packing crates and boxes.

Products coming on are:

• Some valves.
• Carpets.
• Waste products.
• Other goods.

What does the Oct. 30 reset mean?

For every $100 of covered import value, the Section 338 levy represents $50, plus any separate Section 232 duty. USMCA origin does not change that calculation.

The product swaps shift customs exposure between supply chains rather than remove the underlying tariff. An exemption from one tariff regime does not erase the other, and newly added goods enter the same 50% Section 338 framework.

Why did Maine’s Senate race intervene?

Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced exemptions on Friday for nine categories of products used by Maine blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers. The White House announced the added duties within one hour of her announcement, according to CNBC.

Her statement did not mention the additions, and the White House fact sheet did not mention Maine, according to CNBC. Collins said she discussed the issue with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

CNBC listed the exemptions as covering:

• Corrugated paper.
• Plastic boxes and bags for packing.
• Refrigeration gear.
• A range of machinery types.
• Seaweed and algae goods.

“Many of our farmers and growers rely on specialized equipment, packaging materials, and other products from Canada that are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense,” Collins said in a statement.

How close is the election?

Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson in a tight race, and voters have begun casting ballots, according to CNBC. The election is Nov. 3. The Oct. 30 tariff change comes four days before that vote.

Jackson, who is challenging Collins, blamed her for enabling Trump’s tariff policies.

“Trump’s trade wars have made life harder and more expensive for Mainers. Susan Collins enabled this chaos, voted to confirm the people behind it, and now wants credit for bringing a cup of water to put out the fire,” Jackson said in a statement, according to CNBC.

Collins’ spokeswoman Phoebe Keller told CNBC that the senator requested exemptions for products important to Maine and would continue to do so. White House spokesman Matthew Middleton told CNBC the action responds to Canada’s continued discrimination against and additional retaliation targeting U.S. commerce.

The sequence placed the tariff revisions and Collins’s intervention in the final stretch of a tightly contested Senate campaign.

Can the administration collect the tariffs?

Gellert Global Group, a U.S. food importer, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, arguing that the administration exceeded its authority under Section 338. The filing puts the administration’s statutory authority, rather than any single product classification, before the court.

The suit seeks an order halting collection of the tariffs and refunds for importers who paid them.

By Oct. 30, importers face a reshuffled product list, exemptions for nine farm-input categories and an unresolved claim that the 50% Section 338 levies exceed statutory authority.