PORTLAND — Maine’s Republican governor is asking President Donald Trump’s administration to ease up stiff softwood lumber tariffs he says are leading to “devastating” job losses.
Gov. Paul LePage this month asked U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to exempt Canadian provinces such as New Brunswick and Quebec from the tariffs.
Softwood lumber like spruce, pine and fir is used for everything from construction to newsprint.
The U.S. government has been collecting preliminary tariffs on imported softwood since April.
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