Senator Collins requests fire truck contracts signed by fire departments prior to imposition of tariffs be exempted.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, urging the Administration to address the hardship that tariffs will impose on fire departments and businesses in Maine, particularly the tariffs imposed on Canadian metals. She is specifically requesting an exemption for fire truck orders that were under contract between Maine fire departments and a Maine manufacturer prior to President Trump’s February 10, 2025, announcement of Canadian tariffs.
“I was recently contacted by K&T Fire Equipment in Island Falls, Maine, a family-owned business that manufactures and sells fire trucks for fire departments in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont,” Senator Collins wrote. “The business begin assembly at its facility in Maine by attaching fire apparatuses to truck chasses before sending the trucks to a metal fabricator in Centerville, New Brunswick, Canada, to complete the steel and aluminum fabrication and assembly. The business has operated this way for more than three decades. K&T indicated to me that the proposed tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum would increase the cost of each truck by $80,000-$90,000.”
“At present, K&T Fire Equipment has contracts for trucks with eight fire departments, with one set to be delivered to the Allagash Fire Department in Allagash, Maine, later this month. K&T’s other contracted departments in Maine include Lamoine, Newfield, Sullivan, Surry, and Somerville. To reduce hardships on fire departments and family-owned companies such as K&T Fire Equipment, I request that the Department of Commerce exempt items that were under contract before President Trump’s announcement on February 10, 2025,” Senator Collins concluded.
Senator Collins has been a longstanding advocate for Maine firefighters and first responders. Through the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations process, Senator Collins secured nearly $31 million for 24 projects across the state that will support local fire and rescue stations, law enforcement, and emergency response services.
The complete text of the letter can be read here.
###