The Trump administration is planning to put tariffs on some of the country’s — and Maine’s — biggest trade partners.

A 10% levy on all imports from China is set to go into effect Tuesday.

Meanwhile, plans to impose a 10% tax on Canadian energy and a steeper 25% tax on all other goods from the country were postponed at the last minute. Mexico also struck a deal on Monday to delay proposed 25% tariffs for a month while it negotiates with the U.S. over border security.

The tariffs are intended to protect American industries and pressure countries to negotiate on key issues. But they threaten to trigger a trade war that will strain U.S. businesses with operations in those countries and drive up the prices American consumers pay for various products.

Maine is more reliant on Canada than the rest of the U.S., with over 70% of the state’s imports last year coming from its northern neighbor compared to 13.5% nationally.

Maine brought in $4.4 billion of goods from Canada in 2024, the vast majority being fuel and oil, with wood pulp and wood products like lumber next on the list.

Maine is less reliant on China and Mexico, which accounted for 2.7% and 1.3% of the state’s imports in 2024, respectively, compared to 13.5% and 15.6% of all U.S. imports.

Still, China has been Maine’s second biggest trading partner for all but one of the last 10 years (the exception was 2023, when Germany topped China). The total value of imports from China has dropped substantially during that period, from $466.8 million in 2015 to $164.6 million last year.

Mexico, the No. 1 trade partner of the U.S. as of 2023, is lower down on Maine’s list but still consistently in the state’s top 10. A total of $77.8 million worth of footwear, machinery, textiles and other goods came to Maine from Mexico last year.

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