Visiting Maine, Canadian officials warn against trade war as Trump threatens tariffs

As President-elect Donald Trump pushes for a 25% tariff on Canadian imports, a delegation from the eastern province of Prince Edward Island is pleading the case for continued free trade while touring New England this week.

Dennis King is P.E.I.’s premier, the top elected official in the province. He said his province plays a key role in cross-border trade, exporting over $1 billion worth of goods to the U.S. in 2023, much of it in the form of potato and seafood products.

And this week, as he and his team meet with elected leaders and business owners across New England, King said he wants Americans to consider the repercussions of starting a trade war with Canada.

“Tariffs can be very complicated, but at the end of the day, this is what it means: If it costs our goods and services 25% more to come across the border, they’re going to be costing Americans 25% more to consume them,” he said.

King said Maine and P.E.I. in particular have strong economic ties, especially when it comes to lobster processing.

While any U.S. tariffs — and potential retaliatory moves by Canada — would be set at the federal level, King said in meeting with governors, he’s hoping to build a constituency supporting continued free trade.

“What Governor Mills and I and other Canadian premiers and other U.S. governors are trying to do is to just press the importance of how short-sighted this is, and how penalizing this will be for people on both sides of the border,” he said.

After meeting with King on Monday, governor Janet Mills said in a statement that she’s concerned tariffs “will only increase prices for Maine people at a time when they can ill afford it and lead to economic instability with an important partner.”