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 branded the advert a “fraud” and criticized Canadian officials for allowing it to air 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 announcement came two days after he withdrew from trade talks with Canada, worsening relations between the neighboring countries. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he would suspend the province’s anti-tariff campaign in the US after speaking 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, where the Toronto Blue Jays face the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 nation without a trade deal with the US since Trump began imposing steep tariffs on key allies. The US currently applies a 35% levy on Canadian goods, though many items are exempt under a free trade agreement. Sector-specific tariffs include 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 Canadian exports go to the US, and Ontario is the country’s main hub for automobile production.
Reagan quote sparks diplomatic backlash
Ontario’s government funded 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, responsible for preserving Reagan’s legacy, criticized the advert for “selective editing” and said it misrepresented the original message. The foundation also confirmed Ontario never sought permission to use the material.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the advert should have been removed 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 air the Reagan advert in every Republican-led district across the US.
Trump rules out 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 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 court will hear the case next month, which Trump described as “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series stage becomes platform for trade humor
Ontario has used the World Series to mock US tariffs in a lighter tone. In a playful video released 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 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 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.”
