US President Donald Trump has announced higher tariffs on Canadian goods after Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former US President Ronald Reagan.
Trump denounced the ad as a “fraud” and accused Canadian officials of refusing to remove 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 on Saturday.
Trade tensions soar between US and Canada
Trump’s announcement followed his withdrawal from trade talks with Canada on Thursday, intensifying the dispute. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday that 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 advertisement would continue airing during the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 nation without a new trade deal with the US since Trump began imposing steep tariffs on major trading partners. The US already levies a 35% tax on Canadian goods, though many are exempt under an existing free trade agreement. Some sectors face higher rates, including 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he was adding ten more percentage points to those tariffs. About three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the US, with Ontario serving as the center of Canada’s automobile industry.
Reagan ad sparks political backlash
Ontario’s government funded the controversial advert, which featured segments from Reagan’s 1987 radio address on foreign trade. The clip quoted Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, responsible for preserving Reagan’s legacy, criticized the ad for “selective” editing and said it misrepresented his message. The foundation also said Ontario never sought permission to use the material.
In another post, Trump demanded the advert’s removal. “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 pledged to air the Reagan advert in every Republican-led district across the United States.
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 with his Canadian counterpart during the trip.
Trump also accused Canada of trying 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 called “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series turns into trade banter stage
Ontario has used the World Series spotlight 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.
Ford pledged 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,” Ford said.
Newsom replied by asking Ford to resume sales of American-made alcohol in Ontario’s liquor stores. He promised to send “California’s championship-worthy wine” if the Blue Jays win.
Both leaders ended their exchange with a cheerful toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
