Mills among six regional governors inviting Canadian leaders to summit on cross-border relationship
Maine Gov. Janet Mills enters the House chamber for the annual joint State of the Judiciary address on Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)
Gov. Janet Mills and the leaders of five other northeast states extended an invitation to Canadian leaders Monday to discuss the importance of cross-border relationships amid actions from the Trump administration that have threatened them.
While additional details regarding the time and date of the meeting were not available, the leaders proposed to meet in Boston in 'the near future,' according to a news release from Mills' office.
'Our economies and our cultures have enjoyed strong relationships for generations, which is now strained by the president's haphazard tariffs and harmful rhetoric targeting our northern neighbors,' Mills said.
She added that she looks forward to telling her Eastern Canada counterparts that Maine values their partnerships and 'will work to ensure our historic friendship and deeply intertwined economies endure for generations to come.'
The invite came from Mills, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee, and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott — the only Republican in the group. It was sent to the premiers of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Québec.
As President Donald Trump has gone back and forth on imposing tariffs, some as high as 25%, on Maine's northern neighbor, Mills, along with Maine's business community, has warned that any new tax would have a significant negative impact on the state.
In radio addresses and other statements, she has also underscored how vital Canada is to the state's economy, especially as a trade partner. Every year, Maine exports $1.4 billion in goods to Canada and in turn imports more than $5 billion worth of goods.
Mills specifically said that any new tax could increase costs for daily essentials such as gasoline and food. The most heating oil dependent state in the nation, Maine imports more than 80% of its heating fuel and gasoline from Canada, the release said.
Similarly, the agriculture sector said in early April that the tariffs could incite a trade war that would increase costs for consumers and eat away at already thin profit margins.
Mills is also concerned that Trump rhetoric about Canada could harm Maine's summer tourism season. Last year, Canadian visitors spent nearly half a billion dollars in Maine, but Mills' office said estimates show that the state could see Canadian tourists drop by about 25%.
'Whether Canadians decide to visit this summer (and we truly hope they do) or at a later time, they will always find a warm welcome in Maine,' said Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism.
While it's not clear whether or how much the tariffs will directly impact electricity, the Maine Office of Public Advocate has raised concern about the potential impact on customers, especially 58,000 ratepayers in Aroostook and Washington counties who live along the border and have little choice but to rely on Canadian energy to keep their lights on.
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