US President Donald Trump has announced new tariffs on Canadian goods after Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan.
Trump condemned the advert as a “fraud” and criticized Canadian officials for not removing it 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 Saturday.
Trade tensions between US and Canada intensify
Trump’s decision came two days after he withdrew from trade talks with Canada, worsening relations between the two nations. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he would suspend the province’s anti-tariff campaign in the US after discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney “so that trade talks can resume.”
Ford added that the advert would still air over the weekend during the World Series games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 country without a trade agreement with the US since Trump began imposing tariffs on major trading partners. The US already levies a 35% tariff on Canadian goods, though many are exempt under an existing free trade agreement. Sector-specific tariffs include 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he would add another ten percentage points to these tariffs. About three-quarters of Canada’s exports go to the US, and Ontario produces most of the country’s automobiles.
Reagan advert sparks diplomatic controversy
The controversial advert, funded by Ontario’s government, used clips from Reagan’s 1987 radio address about foreign trade. It quoted Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which protects the late president’s legacy, criticized the advert for “selective editing” and said it distorted Reagan’s words. The foundation also confirmed that Ontario had not sought permission to use the material.
Trump insisted in another social media post that the advert should have been removed sooner. “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 earlier pledged to air the Reagan advert across every Republican-led district in the United States.
Trump refuses to meet Canadian leader at Asia summit
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 with his Canadian counterpart during the trip.
He also accused Canada of attempting to influence an upcoming US Supreme Court case that could determine the legality of his tariff policy. The case is scheduled for next month, which Trump called “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series becomes stage for tariff humor
Ontario has used the World Series to highlight its opposition to Trump’s tariffs in a playful way. In a video released Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom joked about the Blue Jays-Dodgers matchup.
They exchanged lighthearted bets, with Ford promising 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 triumph.
Both leaders ended their exchange with a toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
