US President Donald Trump has announced a 10% increase in tariffs on goods imported from Canada following the airing of an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan.
In a recent social media post, Trump referred to the advertisement as a fraud and criticized Canadian officials for permitting its broadcast during the World Series baseball championship. He stated, Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and a hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now. This announcement followed Trump's withdrawal from trade talks with Canada earlier in the week.
Ontario's Premier Doug Ford had previously announced a pause on the anti-tariff advertisement campaign after talks with Prime Minister Mark Carney, although the campaign would still run through the weekend during the World Series featuring the Toronto Blue Jays against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada is the only G7 nation that has not finalized a deal with the U.S. since Trump initiated steep tariffs on goods from major trading partners, currently imposing a 35% levy on Canadian imports, albeit with most goods exempt under an existing free trade agreement. Specific sectors face even higher tariffs, such as a 50% levy on metals and a 25% tariff on automobiles.
The advertisement from Ontario quoted Reagan, who emphasized that tariffs hurt every American during a national address in 1987. In response to Trump's tariff plans, Ford had initially pledged to broadcast the Reagan advertisement in Republican-controlled areas across the U.S.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation criticized the Ontario government's use of Reagan’s image in the advertisement, asserting that it misrepresented key aspects of his address and was used without permission.
As Trump travels to Southeast Asia without plans to meet his Canadian counterpart, tensions regarding trade remain high. He further accused Canada of trying to intervene in a Supreme Court case related to the legitimacy of the tariffs, which is set to be heard next month. The ongoing conflict highlights the complexities of U.S.-Canada relations amid both nations’ economic interests.
