GORHAM (NEWS CENTER Maine) – The head of the U.S. Small Business Administration visited Maine Friday to discuss President Trump’s newly proposed trade agreement between Mexico and Canada.
Administrator Linda McMahon, a member of Trump’s cabinet, toured the future home of Flowfold in Gorham.
There she met with company founders and staff to discuss the role the Administration would play in helping the future growth of the outdoor products company.
“Quite frankly, it's not red versus white or left versus right,” co-owner James Morin said. “It's how we can support small businesses. We can all get behind that.”
The company is currently renovating a new space to manufacture its products made from recycled sails.
McMahon said President Trump was optimistic about how tax incentives and a potential new trade deal with U.S. and Mexico.
The new deal, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) would replace the National Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) — something President Trump has largely criticized for not being fair to American companies.
When asked what impact Trump’s tariffs are having on Maine businesses and the lobster industry, Administrator McMahon was adamant the tariffs were not intended to be long term.
“Clearly we want the tariffs to be short term,” McMahon said. “We want, in the long term, for that balance of trade to be where it needs to be for the United States so we see the proper growth that we need to see.”
McMahon added that the USMCA will be a large benefit to small business nationwide, and could help off-set the potentially negative impact of tariffs.
“I can tell you the President is going to continue to work — and I can tell you the USMCA, this trade deal, clearing has a lot of the proforma elements in it that we’re going to look to see and the broader trade deals for other countries as well,” McMahon said.
The Administrators visit was part of a nationwide tour. So far she and her team have visited 47 states.
