Democratic midterm wins fuel Canadian hopes for tariff relief

Democratic candidates won major victories in US midterm races where tariffs on Canada were a prominent issue, giving Canadians hopeful of tariff relief reason for optimism. Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the result “a victory for Canada”, though the change in Congress is unlikely to end the tariffs soon.

Tariffs were debated in Maine and Michigan, where Democrats Troy Jackson and Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republicans Susan Collins and Mike Rogers; in Ohio, Sherrod Brown also won after calling the levies a “disaster”. A September survey found about 75% of respondents believed tariffs had raised prices. Canada faces duties on goods including cars, steel, aluminium and forestry products, plus an additional 50% tariff on about $20bn of goods imposed after trade talks collapsed in August; US President Donald Trump can veto legislation Congress passes.