Washington, Oct. 24 US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is terminating “all trade negotiations” with Canada following a dispute over a television advertisement protesting tariffs. The advertisement, produced by the government of Ontario, was described by Trump as “fake” and “egregious.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Canada of using a fraudulent advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs,” Trump wrote. “The ad was for $75 million. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the US. Supreme Court, and other courts.”
“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMY OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” he added.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute earlier criticized the advertisement, saying it “misrepresents” Reagan’s 1987 radio address on free and fair trade and that Ontario had not received permission to use or edit the remarks.
The foundation said it was “reviewing legal options” and encouraged the public to view the unedited version of Reagan’s speech. The ad, part of a USD75 million campaign launched by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, aired across several US television markets this week.
Ford wrote on social media platform X that the campaign aimed to make the case against American tariffs on Canadian goods, saying: “Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.” The diplomatic flare-up comes amid heightened trade tensions. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this week that Canada plans to double its exports to non-U.S. markets in response to what he called the “threat” of Trump’s renewed tariff agenda.
Carney met with Trump earlier this month in an effort to ease tensions as Canada, the United States, and Mexico prepare for a review of the USMCA trade deal, which Trump negotiated during his first term but has since criticized.
Trade between the two countries remains substantial as more than USD 3.6 billion Canadian (USD 2.7 billion USD) worth of goods and services cross the border each day, and over three-quarters of Canadian exports are destined for the US.
