President Donald Trump signed his orders to impose a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico which may hit consumers on prices from wood products, vehicles to even seafood.
Over the last few years Maine lobstermen have had to deal with new rules and regulations that aim to protect the lobster population and right whales.
The industry could be facing yet another hurdle with the tariffs.
USM economics professor Dr. Rachel Bouvier says that this could have a negative impact on the Maine economy as Canada is one of the state’s biggest trade partners.
She says that one of the reasons that Trump wants to raise tariffs is because we have a major trade deficit with Canada and many other countries.
Another reason is to pressure Canada into reducing the flow of immigration into the United States.
CBS 13 reports that the Executive Director of Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative Marianne Lacroix says that the lobster industries in the US and Canada are intertwined.
Most of Maine’s lobster catches are in the Summer and Fall while Canadas lobster catches are primarily in the Winter and Spring, which allows dealers to keep customers supplied year-round.
Higher tariff businesses will likely pass off the cost onto the consumer, which means that we could see a decrease of lobster sales around the country.
