US President Donald Trump 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 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 rise sharply between Washington and Ottawa
Trump had already withdrawn from trade talks with Canada on Thursday. Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded on Friday by saying he would pause the province’s anti-tariff campaign in the US. He said he made the decision after discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney “so that trade talks can resume.”
However, Ford confirmed the advert would still air over the weekend during World Series games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 nation without a trade deal with the US since Trump began imposing heavy tariffs on major partners. The US currently enforces a 35% levy on all Canadian goods, although most are exempt under an existing free trade pact. Additional levies target specific sectors, including a 50% tax on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump suggested he was adding ten percentage points to these taxes. Three-quarters of Canada’s exports go to the US, and Ontario produces most of the nation’s automobiles.
Reagan quote ignites diplomatic backlash
The controversial advert, sponsored by Ontario’s government, used an old Reagan speech to attack tariffs. It quoted the former president saying tariffs “hurt every American,” taken from a 1987 radio address on foreign trade.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which preserves Reagan’s legacy, condemned the advert for “selective editing” and said it misrepresented the late president’s message. The foundation also noted that Ontario had not sought permission to use the material.
In another online post, Trump said the advert should have been removed 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 vowed to air the Reagan-themed advert across every Republican-led district in the US.
No meeting expected during Asia summit
Both Trump and Carney are attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia. However, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he has no “intention” of meeting with his Canadian counterpart during the trip.
In his post, Trump also accused Canada of trying to influence a forthcoming US Supreme Court case that could determine the legality of his entire tariff policy. The court is set to hear the case next month, which Trump described as “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series becomes stage for tariff jokes
Ontario has used the World Series spotlight to highlight opposition to Trump’s tariffs. In a lighthearted video released Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom joked about the Blue Jays-Dodgers matchup.
They made friendly bets about the outcome, 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 triumph.
Both leaders ended the exchange with a toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
