Mills, regional peers seek to smooth Canada trade tensions in cross-border summit

Canada and U.S. flags against a blue sky

Photo / Adobe Stock Gov. Janet Mills and five other regional governors have invited six Canadian premiers for a cross-border summit in Boston.

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By Renee Cordes

Aiming to smooth over U.S. trade tensions with Canada, Gov. Janet Mills and five other regional governors have invited six Canadian premiers for a cross-border summit in Boston.

Maine’s Democratic governor, joined by her peers from Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont, extended the invitation to the premiers of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Québec. A meeting date has not yet been set.

"Canada is Maine's single largest trading partner, with more than $6 billion in cross-border commerce occurring last year alone," Mills said. “Our economies and our cultures have enjoyed strong relationships for generations, which is now strained by the president's haphazard tariffs and harmful rhetoric targeting our northern neighbors.

“I look forward to meeting with my Eastern Province counterparts to tell them that Maine deeply values our Canadian partnerships, and that we will work to ensure our historic friendship and deeply intertwined economies endure for generations to come,” she added.

Mills has warned that President Donald Trump’s current and proposed tariffs on Canada will drive up the cost of heating oil, gasoline, food and other daily essentials for Maine households.

Maine is the most heating-oil dependent state in the country, importing more than 80% of heating fuel and gasoline from Canada.

'Significant uncertainty'

Wade Merritt, president of the Maine International Trade Center, noted that Maine's economic ties to Canada run deeper than with other international markets.

“Although previously announced tariffs are paused, significant uncertainty remains due to increased costs and the threat of retaliation,” he said. "Whether real or perceived, this uncertainty affects business decision-making and impacts their export sales."

Mills has voiced concern that the president's tariffs — and harmful rhetoric about Canada — may hurt Maine's summer tourism season.

Last year, 5% of Maine's visitors came from Canada, and those visitors spent nearly half a billion dollars. Estimates show that Maine could see about 225,000 fewer Canadian visitors this summer, or about 25% less than last year.

Old Orchard Beach, a popular summer destination for Canadian tourists, is expected to take a big hit, with several hotels already seeing lower bookings in March.