Canada Targets $28 Billion in US Goods to Sway 2026 Midterms Against Trump
Updated
Updated · The New Republic · Sep 9
Canada Targets $28 Billion in US Goods to Sway 2026 Midterms Against Trump
3 articles · Updated · The New Republic · Sep 9
Summary
$28 billion in Canadian retaliatory tariffs took effect this week, with Ottawa openly saying the measures were designed to hit Republican-held or competitive states before November's U.S. midterms.
Vehicles, fish and dairy were among the targeted products, aimed at states such as Maine, Michigan and Kansas after trade talks collapsed and Trump threatened or imposed new duties on Canadian goods.
Early political fallout is emerging: a CNN poll released Wednesday found nearly two-thirds of voters in Maine and Michigan view the trade war negatively, adding pressure on vulnerable Republicans.
The move marks a sharp escalation in the U.S.-Canada rift under Trump's second term, with Prime Minister Mark Carney's government turning Trump's own election-pressure tactics back on his party.