U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has reached out to members of the Trump Administration urging them to provide relief to Maine's blueberry industry in light of the tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum, according to a letter her office released.
In her two-page letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Sen. Collins explained that between this year's drought conditions and the increased costs of the tariffs, Maine's blueberry industry is at risk.
She highlighted the industry's $361 million annual contribution to Maine's economy and points out the $28 million in losses that producers have already sustained due to this year's weather conditions.
Because blueberry harvesting requires the frequent replacement of cutting knives in the mowing equipment used by producers, the new tariffs have had a significant impacts on the costs of these parts, as much as doubling them. Collins explained in her letter that this specialized equipment is only readily available in Canada, meaning that Maine's blueberry producers currently have no viable alternative that is affordable and based in the United States.
Read more at Maine Wire
