{"id":79158,"date":"2026-10-02T10:00:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T10:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/2026\/10\/02\/trade-war-tests-maine-and-new-brunswick-economies\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T10:00:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T10:00:20","slug":"trade-war-tests-maine-and-new-brunswick-economies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/2026\/10\/02\/trade-war-tests-maine-and-new-brunswick-economies\/","title":{"rendered":"Trade war tests Maine and New Brunswick economies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> \n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<header aria-label=\"Beginning of Article\" class=\"article-header article-header--feature\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\" data-aqa=\"nav-breadcrumb\">\n<p>Breadcrumb Trail Links<\/p>\n<ol class=\"breadcrumbs__items list-unstyled\">\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\">News<\/li>\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\">Economy<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"article-header__detail\">\n<div class=\"article-header__detail__texts\">\n<p class=\"article-subtitle\">The economies of this province and state have become intertwined over the generations, but now tariffs from both sides are testing that relationship<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<p><span class=\"published-date__since\">Published Oct 02, 2026<\/span> \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 <span class=\"updated-date__since\">Last updated 1\u00a0hour ago<\/span> \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 <span class=\"published-date__word-count\">9 minute read<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"featured-image\" data-aqa=\"featured-image\"><picture class=\"featured-image__ratio\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;h=675&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=TBO2Pxz5aZJ3nvof0LzsFA,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;h=1350&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=Kgqwy27Ckt-BSQ46Xab1fA 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;h=675&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=gc8PbLE4Tv1PYp2OGJjGsw,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;h=1350&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=BODx4fWZr1hjHvN8w5wHuQ 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;h=432&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=lbLcvXVb29UKKxI2TM1OSQ,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;h=864&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=-4a37G-VRCTiUDbaVEtZqQ 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;h=432&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=QGFHIqCsZXBvKP7EPsJEqg,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;h=864&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=ZAwHjBywT89ZhFX2mf89IQ 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;h=563&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=Us1aP6FpxAwosBU2m91Y1A,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/maine-border-1002-ph.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;h=1125&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=1yJzBATOk_w4K_nh0f_wbw 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"featured-image__caption image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">The U.S. Border Inspection Station in Calais, Maine is shown through a chainlink fence on the Canadian side of the international border. <\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Brice McVicar\/Brunswick News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p data-async=\"\">James Robbins\u2019 family has been in the lumber business in Maine since 1881, but his company\u2019s modern path north began by accident at a kids\u2019 soccer tournament in New Brunswick.<\/p>\n<p>About three decades ago, he travelled to Saint John to watch his sons play soccer and came away convinced there was a market across the border for his family\u2019s eastern white pine.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>What followed was decades of expansion. Robbins Lumber Inc. first began selling through a New Brunswick wholesaler, later branching out across Atlantic Canada and eventually establishing a distribution operation in Nova Scotia. Today, Robbins, 81, remains actively involved as a consultant to the fifth-generation family business, which his children have owned and run since 2013.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--story article-content__ad-group ad_counter_2\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment6324965296959905973498363571601408\" class=\"ad\">\n<p>Advertisement 2<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-2\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[6,6],[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-interscroller=\"6x6\" data-ad-loc=\"2\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[6,6],[320,50],[300,50],[300,250],[300,600]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-2\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:600px\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div 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of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.<\/li>\n<li>Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"intro-body__anonymous\">\n<p>REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n<p class=\"identity-intro__description\">Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled list-checkmark\">\n<li>Access articles from across Canada with one account.<\/li>\n<li>Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.<\/li>\n<li>Enjoy additional articles per month.<\/li>\n<li>Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"intro-body__registration_only hidden\">\n<p>THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n<p class=\"identity-intro__description\">Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled list-checkmark\">\n<li>Access articles from across Canada with one 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class=\"identity-divider__line\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"identity-footer identity-screen__content m-x-0 p-x-0 col-sm-6 col-md-12\"\/><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"article-content--column\">\n<p>Maine, hell, we&#8217;re surrounded by Canada<\/p>\n<p>American James Robbins<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-async=\"\">Now, though, a 25 per cent Canadian tariff on the company\u2019s lumber, imposed this month in response to new United States tariffs on Canadian goods, is making that cross-border trade significantly harder.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"js-widget-content article-content__widget-group article-content__widget-group--content-slot8 article-content__widget-group--newsletter-slot newsletter--indent\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-widget__new-story-page fp-energyinsider background--primary-light-gradient\" data-target-list=\"FP West Energy Insider\" aria-labelledby=\"FPWest:EnergyInsider7464043663482804483584696701157376\" data-account-id=\"b9d3df2fccd108b5eff3c44f573b2cd6\" data-aqa=\"widget-newsletter\" data-newsletter=\"single\" data-newsletter-component=\"\" data-widget=\"newsletter\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-new-story-page-template\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-widget__header__new-story-page\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-widget__banner__new-story-page\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"FP West: Energy Insider\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/22.2.2\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/logo\/FP-West.svg\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>FP West: Energy Insider<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text__new-story-page\">SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch\u2019s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"newsletter-widget__body__new-story-page\">\n<div class=\"js-replace-main__new-story-page\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__disclaimer__new-story-page text-size--tiny\">By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"submitSuccessFP West Energy Insider\" class=\"js-submit-success\" hidden=\"\">\n<p>Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text__new-story-page\">A welcome email is on its way. If you don&#8217;t see it, please check your junk folder.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text__new-story-page newsletter__feedback--last\">The next issue of FP West: Energy Insider will soon be in your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text__new-story-page js-submit-error\" id=\"submitErrorFP West Energy Insider\" hidden=\"\" style=\"margin-top:8px\">We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The tariff is increasing costs, reducing orders from Canadian customers and forcing Robbins Lumber to absorb some of the added expense itself. Robbins declined to quantify the drop in orders because he\u2019s no longer involved in day-to-day sales, but he called the impact significant.<\/p>\n<p>The real frustration, he said, is that neither side wants the relationship to end.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaine, hell, we\u2019re surrounded by Canada,\u201d Robbins said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got Quebec on one side, New Brunswick on the other. Why shouldn\u2019t we be doing business with each other?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The economies of Maine and New Brunswick have become so intertwined over generations that the effects of the Canada-U.S. trade war are being magnified along the border, raising costs and disrupting supply chains and longstanding business relationships, with the tariffs imposed by both countries testing a regional economy built around the relatively free movement of goods, resources and investment.<\/p>\n<p>New Brunswick accounted for about 20 per cent of Maine\u2019s exports in 2024, or roughly US$620-million worth of goods, according to the Maine International Trade Center. If the province were an independent country, the trade group said it would be the state\u2019s largest international export market. Maine, meanwhile, imported US$4.7-billion worth of goods from Canada that year, roughly 70 per cent of everything the state imported.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--story article-content__ad-group ad_counter_3\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment5580598062904749831147121102815232\" class=\"ad\">\n<p>Advertisement 3<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-3\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[7,7],[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-interscroller=\"7x7\" data-ad-loc=\"3\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[7,7],[300,250],[320,50],[300,50]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-3\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image article-content--full_width\" data-aqa=\"embed-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=DewN0PJNcEMtMb-eJWMYUQ,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=SVjUnkjl5MOqNEuHJDRlWw 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=VL99d8pLVWArqsJGFa7kSA,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=osxJbD5Jn9GfaowMUstYyw 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=EiGhAmxIjIAkvrrx_XcdhQ,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=blo7PMPnZZOxGALFJGvBXQ 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=zB9ACwVswGLKdow3dYCwcA,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=kQO1ppMGqMC1fe23MG3s6w 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=xR96GdfXHXiA5jTtpFCSgA,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=QZaiswW3DJ9xQPo4GGBbwQ 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"New Brunswick Power Corp.\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=r6MxZGKqVi-IVy2nOpme_w\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=r6MxZGKqVi-IVy2nOpme_w,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/new-brunswick-power-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;sig=QShcTemP8nmdBxuWz4eN3g 2x\" height=\"720\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Nearly 58,000 customers in northern and eastern Maine rely entirely on New Brunswick Power Corp. for electricity.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Brunswick News Archives<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But their ties run deeper than commerce. Nearly 58,000 customers in northern and eastern Maine rely entirely on New Brunswick\u2019s New Brunswick Power Corp. for electricity delivery, according to state regulatory data. The Maritimes &amp; Northeast Pipeline crosses the border, as do freight rail lines and roads.<\/p>\n<p>Stefano Tijerina, a University of Maine senior lecturer in management who studies the history of Canada-U.S. economic relations, considers the Maine-New Brunswick relationship the most deeply integrated along the border, a product of geography and economic ties that predate modern free-trade agreements.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"article-content--column\">\n<p>The integration of the two regions has already happened. You cannot tear it apart<\/p>\n<p>Stefano Tijerina of the University of Maine<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Over time, roads, railways, pipelines and energy grids became the \u201cveins\u201d connecting the regional economy, he said, while industries including forestry, fisheries and agriculture developed supply chains on both sides.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe integration of the two regions has already happened,\u201d he said. \u201cYou cannot tear it apart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\">That integration was on display Tuesday when U.S. customs officials stopped a truck carrying mail and supplies from mainland New Brunswick to Campobello Island, N.B., via the island\u2019s only bridge, which is connected to Maine.<\/p>\n<p>The truck contained milk, spirits and other goods caught by new U.S. import restrictions even though they were ultimately destined for another part of New Brunswick.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--story article-content__ad-group ad_counter_4\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment4816142562854148714915407264219136\" class=\"ad\">\n<p>Advertisement 4<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-4\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90]]\" data-ad-loc=\"4\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-4\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image article-content--full_page\" data-aqa=\"embed-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=w_Ng12GHmDo5ge7OulWtFQ,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=qlunAoBwk3QwuttW0OM4Ag 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=si_VIi5KuI2tKdk0XwsUYg,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=rM3EKbcBe1MW3VlsxoODVg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=VXmPt9uo05jg6owCE67V2g,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=GgjIZn_yI-IVILMPwINJNA 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=DBqZDCcgA4ZWALlOcx8Xpw,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=rDGVLO1xvIG93CRJ-qMusQ 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=MwrPcLDI_8RpVm7oJsioYg,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=yW8lifKV0Z9F_LTY4EaIaw 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cars cross over the International Bridge between Lubec, Maine, on the right and Campobello, New Brunswick on the left. The bridge from the United States is the only road access to the Canadian island.\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=bCBp7ymahltkLokYKd2z5w\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=bCBp7ymahltkLokYKd2z5w,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/campobello-1002-ph.jpg?location=full_page&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;sig=y4BBFNs6Y_W79FAn-fmOEQ 2x\" height=\"400\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Cars cross over the International Bridge between Lubec, Maine, on the right and Campobello, on the left. The bridge from the United States is the only road access to the Canadian island.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by DON EMMERT\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Decades of relatively free movement across the border have also left businesses particularly exposed when new trade barriers go up, Tijerina said.<\/p>\n<p>Still, he believes the current disruption is unlikely to permanently sever the relationship. The region has endured periods when the border became more restrictive, he said, but businesses and communities continued trading across it.<\/p>\n<p>The depth of those ties is particularly apparent in forestry, one of the economic foundations of both regions. New Brunswick exported more than $443-million worth of forest products to Maine in 2021, making the state its largest U.S. market for the sector, according to provincial data.<\/p>\n<p>A senior Maine forest-products industry representative, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity surrounding the trade dispute, said every paper mill in the state produces at least some products caught by Canada\u2019s retaliatory tariffs.<\/p>\n<p>Those tariffs range from 15 per cent to 50 per cent depending on the product, with many lumber and paper products facing a 25 per cent levy.<\/p>\n<p>The effects can spread through the broader industry, too, the industry source. Mills provide markets for timber harvested from Maine forests, while sawmills generate chips and other residual material used by pulp and paper producers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--story article-content__ad-group ad_counter_5\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment3022975993602907577653979370225664\" class=\"ad\">\n<p>Advertisement 5<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-5\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90]]\" data-ad-loc=\"5\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-5\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t run sawmills without paper mills,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>For example, at Woodland Pulp LLC in Baileyville, Maine, nearly 30 per cent of the mill\u2019s raw wood fibre has historically come from New Brunswick, said company spokesperson Scott Beal.<\/p>\n<p>The company briefly stopped buying New Brunswick hardwood logs and wood chips last fall after a 10 per cent U.S. timber tariff made the imports too expensive. The pulp mill later shut down for nearly a month, although Beal said weak global markets, rather than tariffs, were the main reason behind the decision.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image article-content--column\" data-aqa=\"embed-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=k7lJOt17lGccWgsBrej5rg,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=DxLlNNbWAqoDgZLhWoCVww 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=oOGOh8GUwBwavayoNSAV8g,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=WmZQPVv6FlpC74Y-8sjhZQ 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=vDSTjVNe96WtXcdLgZQ6Ow,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=3x_v_RdeqfDMxyud1HH-5Q 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=iY8mK6aNGuifaXTTq50JUw,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=2wx2nbwEf1hHOVEglj9IwA 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=DT3EXm6y63LrzjuMxLlYmg,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=NUXQo4gESsk_LdKQZSqbig 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"This aerial view shows Woodland Pulp LLC in Baileyville, Maine, located close to the Canadian border. The company briefly stopped buying New Brunswick hardwood logs and wood chips last fall after a 10 per cent U.S. timber tariff made the imports too expensive.\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=b5SPVHHrFrzpOfAkuCNVdw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=b5SPVHHrFrzpOfAkuCNVdw,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/map-1002-ph.jpg?location=column&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;sig=nyncGy31PomM3vK3j0IksA 2x\" height=\"900\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">This aerial view shows Woodland Pulp LLC in Baileyville, Maine, located close to the Canadian border. The company briefly stopped buying New Brunswick hardwood logs and wood chips last fall after a 10 per cent U.S. timber tariff made the imports too expensive.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Woodland has since resumed buying some New Brunswick fibre, but another part of its operations shows how quickly the trade relationship can turn back on itself.<\/p>\n<p>Woodland-affiliated St. Croix Tissue Inc. supplies large rolls of unfinished tissue paper to Canadian manufacturers, which convert them into products such as toilet paper and paper towels. Those shipments are now subject to a 50 per cent Canadian tariff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat it says to me is it\u2019s doing nothing but adding cost to the business,\u201d Beal said. \u201cI don\u2019t know how anyone benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The tariff has yet to force significant staffing or production changes at the operation, he said, since tissue demand is strong enough that production no longer destined for Canada can be sold elsewhere. He also said soaring diesel prices are currently a much bigger problem for the forestry supply chain than tariffs.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--story article-content__ad-group ad_counter_6\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment9112897299226011377674338489597952\" class=\"ad\">\n<p>Advertisement 6<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-6\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90]]\" data-ad-loc=\"6\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-6\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut it\u2019s another one-two punch,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The cross-border dependence, however, extends across the industry. In Edmundston, N.B., and Madawaska, Maine, Twin Rivers Paper Co. operates manufacturing facilities split by the Saint John River, with pulp produced in Edmundston moving across the border to its paper mill in Madawaska. Twin Rivers declined to comment on the effects of the current trade war.<\/p>\n<p>While the cross-border flow continues, Dana Doran, executive director of the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast, said U.S. duties and tariffs, now totalling roughly 45 per cent on most Canadian softwood lumber, are influencing where companies invest.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image article-content--full_width\" data-aqa=\"embed-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=egw-XBKxNhbfF72c7nmLAg,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=1yc67RraKU9lsAukrnsc9g 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=HlCbi2mBv4EOjO5_JW7HTw,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=aeVdiOebd5uXfZZPPznmdw 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=45fCSCsrUQjTo75zLkCImA,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=F8YTaiBo0QkOUKK37YHDiw 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=l0c_Xw-ZemGXD_bq5w8ALA,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=N91DoKkhf2F1lE19RfgAKg 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=yBT0Oq1xPEr_hYMVhUM8lw,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=JEHUnAhshHDF62tBqI-peg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=14yh8v-1uGxQY2aHAzg2Rw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=14yh8v-1uGxQY2aHAzg2Rw,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jdi-1002.jpg?location=full_width&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;sig=SpgNYSvRcEGBrr4L43Hwjg 2x\" alt=\"timber\" height=\"798\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">New Brunswick\u2019s J.D. Irving Ltd. has operated in Maine\u2019s forestry sector since 1947 and is now the state\u2019s largest private landowner, with roughly 1.3 million acres of timberland.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Tribune Archives<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-async=\"\">Canadian-owned forest product companies are \u201cramping up manufacturing in Maine to avoid the duties,\u201d he said, pointing to new investment by New Brunswick\u2019s J.D. Irving Ltd. (JDI).<\/p>\n<p>The Saint John-based company has operated in Maine\u2019s forestry sector since 1947 and is now the state\u2019s largest private landowner, with roughly 1.3 million acres of timberland. Its forest-products operations support more than 2,600 direct, indirect and contractor jobs in the state, according to company figures.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, JDI announced a major modernization of its sawmill in Ashland, Maine, that will nearly double its annual production capacity to 250 million board feet from 130 million. The project is expected to create or retain the equivalent of 220 permanent full-time jobs.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--story article-content__ad-group ad_counter_7\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment5156142395019637080052039388495872\" class=\"ad\">\n<p>Advertisement 7<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-7\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90]]\" data-ad-loc=\"7\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-7\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The expansion follows JDI\u2019s acquisition of another Maine sawmill in Masardis early last year, which employed about 80 people at the time of the purchase.<\/p>\n<p>JDI declined to discuss the broader impact of the trade dispute and has not attributed its expansion to tariffs.<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone in Maine\u2019s forest industry views tariffs and duties as a problem. Jason Brochu, co-president of Pleasant River Lumber Co. and co-chair of the U.S. Lumber Coalition, supports them, saying they counter Canadian timber policies that the U.S. industry considers unfair and have encouraged investment and increased production at U.S. mills.<\/p>\n<p>The duties are part of a decades-old softwood-lumber dispute that predates the latest trade war. But Robbins said they also illustrate the complicated effects of imposing new barriers on an industry that has long operated across the border.<\/p>\n<p>He said U.S. duties on Canadian lumber help his family\u2019s business \u201ca little bit\u201d in the domestic market, although the effect is much greater for his fellow Maine spruce producers that compete more directly against Canadian lumber.<\/p>\n<p>But Robbins said he doesn\u2019t believe his company needs the protection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe really didn\u2019t have a problem competing with the Canadian pine,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re actually friends with them. We were happy the way it was before any tariffs from either direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--story article-content__ad-group ad_counter_8\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment2400425841360121969035854594703360\" class=\"ad\">\n<p>Advertisement 8<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-8\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90]]\" data-ad-loc=\"8\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-8\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the economic ties between New Brunswick and Maine extend far beyond timber.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embedded-image article-content--half_width_left\" data-aqa=\"embed-image\"><picture class=\"embedded-image__ratio\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=1Y_E6x2syOEmHgVlRGuctw,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=-m8hAnkM7FUQjA2F4kJxdw 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1200&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=OHaQoqi0IxBt127T88JMEw,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2400&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=D1EQ87ALHUuboFrX793ADQ 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1200px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=Jfp3Kq68d1lSRksAu5XHBA,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=R4x5lKevAWdBqZZThvujyQ 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=768&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=c2LCeval4Q3cyVAm4KvQag,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536&amp;type=jpg&amp;sig=LqmzXV9TZi1_NHbYWRIPnw 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=P2FtFiT_rMqWAir9P4n13A,&#10;            https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;type=webp&amp;sig=xfFCVGV0RBMjlgMhCvDpKQ 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"data:,1w\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Moosehead beer\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=D0qbWFaaCVdinXavi90ukQ\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=375&amp;sig=D0qbWFaaCVdinXavi90ukQ,&#10;                https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/financialpost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/moosehead-1002-ph.jpg?location=half_width_left&amp;quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=750&amp;sig=dXaxpAGlXlGLQ-8nnR0mTg 2x\" height=\"668\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><figcaption class=\"image-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">The trade fight is hitting one of New Brunswick\u2019s best-known exporters, Moosehead Breweries Ltd., which sent about 15 per cent of its beer south before the U.S. ban on Canadian alcohol.<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Photo by Archive<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For example, lobster harvested in Maine has long moved north for processing in Canada, at times the equivalent of about half the state\u2019s annual catch, before returning south as finished products.<\/p>\n<p>New Brunswick accounts for roughly half of Canada\u2019s lobster-processing volume, and Maine helps supply processors during those times when relatively little lobster is being caught in Canada, said Nat Richard, executive director of the Lobster Processors Association.<\/p>\n<p>That integration was nearly disrupted when Canada temporarily imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. seafood beginning Aug. 25. The federal government walked back the 25 per cent levy the following day after industry leaders warned of harm on both sides of the border.<\/p>\n<p>Richard called the episode a \u201ccase study on steroids\u201d of how easily regional supply chains can be disrupted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt could have had really catastrophic implications on both sides of the border,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The trade fight is also hitting one of New Brunswick\u2019s best-known exporters, Moosehead Breweries Ltd., which is now enduring a U.S. ban on Canadian alcohol that took effect Tuesday, effectively shutting the brewer out of one of its most important markets.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--story article-content__ad-group ad_counter_9\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment8313542067776659982366225958174720\" class=\"ad\">\n<p>Advertisement 9<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-9\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90]]\" data-ad-loc=\"9\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-9\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>U.S. sales account for about 15 per cent of Moosehead\u2019s volume, chief executive Andrew Oland said, and Maine is an especially important market for the Saint John-based brewer since it has sold beer there for decades and has longstanding relationships with local distributors.<\/p>\n<p>Those close ties matter, he said, because Mainers tend to see Moosehead as coming from just across the border.<\/p>\n<p>Moosehead rushed an additional 10 to 15 truckloads of beer across the border last week, ahead of the U.S. ban on Canadian alcohol.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"article-content--column\">\n<p>If you don&#8217;t live in a border state, you just don&#8217;t understand that the border really doesn&#8217;t exist<\/p>\n<p>Moosehead Breweries chief executive Andrew Oland<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The company had previously continued shipping beer south despite a 50 per cent U.S. tariff, losing a small amount on every case since August, Oland said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy are we sending beer to the U.S. when we\u2019re losing money on every case?\u201d he said. \u201cThe answer is because we\u2019re trying to protect shelf space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If Moosehead stops supplying stores, Oland said retailers will fill shelves with competing products and winning it back can be difficult.<\/p>\n<p>Oland said the disruption is particularly jarring because businesses in the region have long operated as though the border was barely there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you don\u2019t live in a border state, you just don\u2019t understand that the border really doesn\u2019t exist,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--story article-content__ad-group ad_counter_10\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment330673322065102596870114193178624\" class=\"ad\">\n<p>Advertisement 10<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-10\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90]]\" data-ad-loc=\"10\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" data-aqa=\"advertisement\" id=\"ad-10\" style=\"--desktopHeight:250px;--mobileHeight:250px\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The trade fight is making that border increasingly difficult to ignore.<\/p>\n<p>Robbins has never experienced a dispute such as the current one since joining his father\u2019s lumber business after leaving the U.S. Navy in 1968. His business could replace Canadian sales with customers in the eastern U.S. if it had to, he said, but he doesn\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe all still want the relationship very badly, but it\u2019s come down to dollars now,\u201d he said. \u201cOur customers want to buy our lumber, but if it\u2019s costing 25 per cent more, it makes it difficult for them to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Feature photo:<\/strong> The U.S. Border Inspection Station in Calais, Maine viewed through a chainlink fence on the Canadian side of the international border. Photo by Brice McVicar\/Brunswick News<br \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\"><em>\u2022 Email: arankin@postmedia.com<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group article-content__content-group--feature\">\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__share-group article-delimiter\" data-evt-val=\"{\" control_fields=\"\" data-evt=\"beforeunload\" data-evt-typ=\"page_scroll\">\n<p>Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n<br \/>Trade war tests Maine and New Brunswick economies<\/a><br \/>\n<br \/>2026-10-02 10:00:20<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breadcrumb Trail Links News Economy The economies of this province and state have become intertwined over the generations, but now tariffs from both sides are testing that relationship Published Oct&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/79159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}