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 called the advert a “fraud” and accused Canadian officials of refusing to take it down 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 relationship between US and Canada deteriorates
Trump had already withdrawn from trade talks with Canada on Thursday, escalating the trade conflict. 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 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 agreement with the US since Trump began imposing steep tariffs on major partners. The US currently applies a 35% levy on Canadian goods, though many are exempt under an existing free trade pact. Certain industries face even higher tariffs, including 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he would increase those tariffs by another ten percentage points. About three-quarters of Canada’s exports go to the US, and Ontario is the hub of the nation’s automobile industry.
Reagan quote reignites political tension
Ontario’s government funded the controversial advert, which used parts of Reagan’s 1987 radio address on foreign trade. The clip quoted Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which preserves the late president’s legacy, condemned the advert for “selective editing” and said it misrepresented his words. The foundation also confirmed Ontario never requested permission to use the material.
In another post, Trump said the advert should have been pulled earlier. “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 run the Reagan advert across every Republican-led district in the United States.
Trump declines talks at Asian 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 event.
Trump also accused Canada of trying to influence an upcoming US Supreme Court case that could decide the constitutionality of his tariff policy. The court will hear the case next month, which Trump called “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
Tariffs turn into humor during World Series
Ontario has used the World Series as a platform to criticize Trump’s tariffs in a playful way. In a video released on Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom joked about the Blue Jays-Dodgers matchup.
They placed friendly 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,” Ford said.
Newsom replied by asking Ford to allow American-made alcohol back into Ontario’s liquor stores. He promised to send “California’s championship-worthy wine” if the Blue Jays win.
Both governors ended their exchange with a cheerful toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
