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WASHINGTON — <\/span>President Donald Trump, seeking to help Republican Sen. Susan Collins<\/a> in a tough reelection battle in Maine, is exempting some imports \u2014 including plywood sheets, packing crates and some machinery \u2014 from the 50% tariffs he slapped on $20 billion worth of Canadian products<\/a> over the summer. The changes will take effect Oct. 30.<\/p>\n The White House said the president was seeking to offset “the burden to U.S. commerce while better serving the public interest.”<\/p>\n Collins, locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, issued a statement saying she’d spoken with Trump’s top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick “about the toll tariffs are taking on Maine families, businesses, farmers, and growers.” <\/p>\n “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,\u201d Collins said. <\/p>\n She said she asked for tariff relief for such products \u201cand stressed the burdens additional costs impose on Maine businesses and families.\u201d<\/p>\n Collins said she’d seek “additional relief from tariffs and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbor, ally, and largest trading partner.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump started a trade war with America\u2019s longstanding ally and northern neighbor, reaching back to a Depression-era trade law to impose tariffs on Canadian imports. He charged that Canada discriminates against U.S. dairy, auto and alcoholic beverage producers. Canada promptly lashed back with tariffs of 15% to 50% on American products, matching Trump\u2019s import taxes dollar for dollar.<\/p>\n Trump ratcheted the dispute up from there last month by imposing a flat-out ban on $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles.<\/p>\n The U.S. president has claimed that foreign countries pay his tariffs. In fact, U.S. importers do. And they often face the tough choice of having to pass along the higher costs to their customers or absorb them.<\/p>\n