US President Donald Trump has imposed higher tariffs on Canadian goods after Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former US President Ronald Reagan.
Trump called the advert a “fraud” and criticized Canadian officials for allowing it to run 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, escalating tensions. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on 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 confirmed, however, that the advert would still air over the weekend during the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 country without a trade deal with the US since Trump began imposing steep tariffs on major partners. The US currently applies a 35% levy on Canadian goods, though many items are exempt under a free trade agreement. Certain sectors face higher tariffs, including 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he was adding another ten percentage points to those tariffs. About three-quarters of Canada’s exports go to the US, and Ontario remains the center of the country’s automobile industry.
Reagan ad triggers political backlash
Ontario’s government sponsored the controversial advert, which used clips from Reagan’s 1987 radio address on foreign trade. The video quoted Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which protects Reagan’s legacy, condemned the advert for “selective editing” and said it misrepresented his speech. The foundation also said Ontario did not seek permission to use the material.
In another post, Trump said the advert should have been pulled 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 promised to broadcast the Reagan advert in every Republican-led district across the United States.
Trump avoids meeting with Canadian prime minister
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.
Trump also accused Canada of attempting to influence a pending US Supreme Court case that could determine whether his tariff policy is constitutional. The case will be heard next month, which Trump called “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series becomes stage for trade humor
Ontario has used the World Series to highlight its opposition to US tariffs in a playful way. In a 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 resume sales of American-made alcohol in Ontario’s liquor stores. He pledged to send “California’s championship-worthy wine” if the Blue Jays win.
Both leaders concluded their exchange with a toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
