An angry Donald Trump said he will impose a 10 per cent tariff increase on Canada over a pettiness. anti-tariff advertising campaign.
Angered by the ad, which used a quote from former President Ronald Reagan to criticize his tariffs, Trump threatened to end trade talks with Ottawa.
The ad directly quoted Reagan – a Republican icon – as saying that tariffs “harm all Americans.”
Trump called Reagan’s words “false” and harshly criticized Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he would pull the ad after the weekend and have it run Friday night during the World Series opener.
As Trump flew aboard Air Force One to Malaysia before the ASEAN summit, he wrote in Truth Social: “Your ad was going to be pulled IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing it was a FRAUD.
“Due to their gross misrepresentation of facts and hostile act, I am raising the tariff to Canada by 10% above what they are paying now.”
The Trump administration previously imposed a 35 percent tax on many Canadian imports, as well as individual tariffs targeting industries such as auto and steel manufacturing.
Canada’s economy has been hit hard and its Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has been trying to work with Trump to reduce them.
Both Trump and Carney will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia.
But Trump told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One that he had no intention of meeting Carney there.
More than three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the United States and almost $2.7 billion in goods and services cross the border daily.
After the ad ran, Trump lashed out at Canada, saying the campaign was “fake” and that he would end all trade negotiations with the neighboring country.
But despite Trump’s strong comments, the ad actually features an actual speech from Reagan.
The 60-second ad, broadcast on major U.S. television channels, is part of his speech during a 1987 radio address in which he explained why he was imposing tariffs on Japanese electronics.
Prime Minister Ford announced the launch of the campaign along with the fiery declaration: “Let’s take Ronald Reagan’s words and deliver them to the American people.
“We are going to repeat that message in all the Republican districts across the country.”
Reagan details how tariffs may seem positive to the average American on the surface, but in reality they are often a punishment for everyone.
His words are overlaid over images of American families, farmers and businessmen as he explains how their lives may be made worse by the tariffs in place in the United States.
“When someone says ‘let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports,’ it sounds like they’re doing something patriotic by protecting American products and jobs,” Reagan says in the ad.
“And sometimes it works for a short time, but only for a short time. But in the long run, those trade barriers hurt all Americans, workers and consumers.”
Reagan goes on to explain that when one country is hit by tariffs, the other usually responds.
This causes the “triggering of fierce trade wars,” he says.
“Markets contract and collapse, businesses and industries close and millions of people lose their jobs.”
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute first highlighted a problem with the use of Reagan’s speech in the ad.
They declared that it takes the late president’s words out of context.
They said: “The ad misrepresents the presidential radio address, and the Ontario government did not seek or receive permission to use and edit the comments.”
They also noted that they are “reviewing their legal options in this matter.”
Trump against Canada
The dispute between Canada and the United States has largely been rooted in trade policy since Donald Trump returned to power in January.
Problems first arose in early 2025, when the United States imposed sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports.
The largest involved a 25 percent tariff on most goods and a 10 percent tariff on energy products.
Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs on American goods, sparking a trade war and major disruption to both nations’ essential supply chains.
The most affected sectors include steel, aluminum, automobiles, agriculture and technology.
There were some heated exchanges between Canada and the United States before the US sanctions were postponed for a short time.
Another problem has to do with the shared border and immigration.
Canada is now beefing up border security in anticipation of possible changes to US immigration and asylum policies.
Trump has also insisted on making Canada the “51st state.”
He has long claimed that they would be better off under American rule despite fierce opposition from Canada’s top officials.
Trump said: “The Ronald Reagan Foundation just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FALSE, in which Ronald Reagan speaks negatively about tariffs.
“They only did this to interfere with the decision of the United States Supreme Court and other courts.
“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US SECURITY AND THE NATIONAL ECONOMY due to their atrocious behavior.
“ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Sponsored by the government of the Canadian province of Ontario and led by Prime Minister Ford, the ads are part of a $53.5 million mega campaign.
Ford insisted that the ad is “very objective” and not an attempt to be unpleasant.
He has been one of Trump’s biggest critics in recent months, since the United States launched sweeping global tariffs.
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It arrives just a few months later Trump repeatedly said he would like to bring Canada into the United States as a country“State 51”, in addition to purchasing Greenland.