Ties between New Brunswick and Maine run deep: just ask Chellie Pingree, the Democratic congresswoman for Maine’s 1st congressional district. And she’s not alone. Other elected officials and political and business experts underscore the many ways in which these neighbours are entwined.
“Maine has a very close relationship with Canada, both commercially, economically but also culturally,” Pingree. “We consider ourselves, you know, good friends of the Canadians and we want to keep it that way.”
Pingree also wants Canadians to know they are always welcome in Maine.
“I want to be sure and convey to our Canadian friends that we love them,” she said.
“[We] will do anything we can to keep promoting that kind of cross-border relationship.”
To say there has been a negative reaction in Canada to the threat of tariffs would be an understatement.
From moves to Buy Canadian, to businesses moving away from American goods, to booing the U.S. national anthem at sporting events, Canadians have been vocal in their displeasure over the threat of tariffs.
Kristin Vekasi, a political scientist at the University of Maine in Orono, said the relationship between the two nations is “one of the most important” but it will take time to heal the wounds.
“All of these beautiful relationships that we’ve built up over time I think [are] built a lot on mutual trust,” said Vekasi.
“It’s going to be very difficult to rebuild some of that … I think that we will be able to do that, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work, particularly on this side of the border.”
Kristin Vekasi, a University of Maine political scientist, says the relationship with Canada is one of the most important for the U.S., and it will take a lot of hard work to rebuild trust.
Velaski said while the tariff threat wasn’t necessarily a shock, it still took many in Maine by surprise.
“There’s concern about prices of course, but there’s also concern, about these long-standing business relationships that have been developed in some of Maine’s really important industries and that those might not be able to stand the test of this trade war.”
Maine would be particularly hard hit by any trade war between the United States and Canada.
According to a Scotiabank Economics report, Maine exports about 42 per cent of its goods to Canada. Meanwhile 72 per cent of the state’s imports come from Canada.
Amir Mousavian, a professor of supply chain management at Maine’s University of New England, said all you need to do to get a good example of the negative impact tariffs will have is look at the energy market.
“The majority of fuel for the state comes from Canada,” said Mousavian.
“So if there are 10 per cent tariffs on fuel cost, it’s going to drive the prices for fuel across the state, which is going to have cascading effects for the rest of the industries.”
That’s something that also concerns Pingree. She said while the state has focused on diversifying its energy grid, much of the state is still reliant on imported fuel.
“We are still one of the most oil dependent states in the nation,” she said.
“Many of our homes are heated with oil, a few by natural gas and we’re highly dependent on importing that into our state.”
Mousavian is also concerned for Maine’s tourism industry, an understandable concern for a state has been known for decades as “vacationland.”
He says the industry could be impacted both by Canadians not wanting to travel to the U.S., but also by families having less money to spend on vacations because of price increases caused by tariffs.
“We rely on a lot of Canadians and our neighbours to come to the state, have a great time in the hospitality business and the tourism industry here is super huge.”
But not all of Maine’s elected officials see the tariffs as harmful to the state.
Jared Golden, the Democratic congressman for Maine’s 2nd congressional district, has largely been supportive of Trump’s stance.
“”Tariffs push back against decades of free trade and globalization that prioritized low prices above all else,” said Golden in a statement posted on his website.
And while Trump has cited issues around wages and jobs as a reason for tariffs, he’s cited another rationale for the ones threatened against Canada.
Trump’s executive order reads that tariffs will be imposed on March 4 if “the illegal migration and illicit drug crises worsen, and if the Government of Canada fails to take sufficient steps to alleviate these crises.”
Rep. Pingree said she’s “virtually never” heard concerns from her constituents about security at the Maine-New Brunswick border and thinks Trump’s mention of it now has more to do with rhetoric than policy.
“It was embarrassing to us for the president to use that as his argument,” said Pingree.
“I’ve never had anyone raise to me, that the Canadian border should be shut down or we should build a northern wall or anything like that.”
While economic ties run deep between New Brunswick and Maine, arguably familial and community ties run deeper.
Joseph Underwood, the Republican state representative for District 5, which includes Presque Isle, believes these connections will outlast any tariff talk.
“Time will tell what it means for the leadership on both sides of the border, but the historic, family and cultural ties between Aroostook County and our neighbours in Canada are strong and will outlast the tariff issue,” said Underwood in a statement to CBC News.
