WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins wrote to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jameison Greer urging them to address the hardship that tariffs have imposed on Maine’s lobstermen. Her letter comes at a time when rising equipment and bait costs and increasing foreign trade barriers have placed growing pressure on the lobster industry in Maine and across the country.
“Lobstering has become a more expensive profession in recent years as lobstermen’s earning per pound in 2024 decreased to some of the lowest levels in the past 75 years, and I continue to hear from lobstermen about the ways that tariffs have exacerbated this problem,” Senator Collins wrote.
“Tariffs have contributed to higher prices on nearly all equipment that lobstermen use, including traps, clips, rings, and hoops, which have increased in cost due to the current 50 percent tariff rate applied on most imported steel and aluminum,” she continued. “Lobstermen have also faced tariffs on shrimp mesh, and special sink and float ropes sourced from India. Even the bait used has been affected by tariffs, resulting in higher prices for lobstermen.”
“To address this problem, I urge the Administration to re-open an exclusion process for imported steel and aluminum, which the Administration terminated earlier this year. As trade negotiations continue, I encourage you to keep these hardships in mind and continue to work with my office on trade policies affecting the lobster industry,” Senator Collins concluded.
Earlier this year, at a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the Department of Commerce, Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary Lutnick about the regulatory and trade pressures confronting Maine’s lobster industry, including the effects of Canadian tariffs. Today’s letter builds on that exchange and reiterates Senator Collins’ call for the Administration to take concrete steps to ease these burdens.
“The costs of doing business have skyrocketed for Maine lobstermen, and tariffs have only made matters worse,” said Patrice McCarron, Executive Director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “The Maine Lobstermen’s Association appreciates Senator Collins’ continued leadership in pressing the Administration to address these unfair burdens and to help ensure that our lobstermen can afford to keep providing world-class seafood and supporting Maine’s coastal communities.”
The complete text of the letter can be read here.
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