US President Donald Trump has announced higher tariffs on Canadian goods after Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan.
Trump condemned the ad as a “fraud” and accused Canadian officials of allowing it to air before the World Series baseball championship. “Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” he wrote on social media on Saturday.
Trade relations between US and Canada worsen
Trump’s announcement followed his withdrawal from trade talks with Canada on Thursday, intensifying the dispute. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he would suspend the province’s anti-tariff campaign in the US after consultations with Prime Minister Mark Carney “so that trade talks can resume.”
Ford confirmed the ad would still run over the weekend during the World Series games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 nation without a trade deal with the US since Trump began imposing steep tariffs on major partners. The US already enforces a 35% levy on Canadian goods, though many products are exempt under a free trade agreement. Certain sectors face even higher rates, including 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he would add another ten percentage points to those tariffs. Around 75% of Canadian exports go to the US, with Ontario serving as the center of the country’s automobile industry.
Reagan advert fuels political tension
The controversial ad, sponsored by Ontario’s government, used excerpts from Reagan’s 1987 radio address on foreign trade. The video quoted Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which protects the late president’s legacy, criticized the ad for “selective” editing and said it distorted Reagan’s message. The foundation also confirmed Ontario did not seek permission to use the material.
Trump said the ad should have been removed immediately. “Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD,” he wrote while flying to Malaysia.
Ford had previously vowed to broadcast the Reagan ad in every Republican-led district across the US.
Trump avoids meeting with Canadian leader
Both Trump and Carney are attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he has no “intention” of meeting his Canadian counterpart during the trip.
Trump also accused Canada of attempting to influence an upcoming US Supreme Court case that could determine the constitutionality of his tariff policy. The case is scheduled for next month, which Trump described as “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series becomes stage for playful tariff jabs
Ontario has used the World Series to mock US tariffs. In a lighthearted video released Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom joked about the Blue Jays-Dodgers matchup.
Ford promised to send Newsom a can of maple syrup if the Dodgers win. “The tariff might cost me a few extra bucks at the border these days, but it’ll be worth it,” he said.
Newsom responded by asking Ford to allow American-made alcohol back into Ontario’s liquor stores. He pledged to send “California’s championship-worthy wine” if the Blue Jays win.
The two governors ended their exchange with a cheerful toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
