US President Donald Trump has announced higher tariffs on Canadian goods after Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan.
Trump called the ad 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 on Saturday.
Trade tensions between US and Canada deepen
Trump’s announcement came two days after he pulled out of trade talks with Canada, escalating tensions. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on 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 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 country without a trade deal with the US since Trump began imposing steep tariffs on major partners. The US already levies a 35% tax on Canadian goods, although many products are exempt under a free trade agreement. Certain sectors face even higher rates, including 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he planned to add another ten percentage points to those tariffs. Around three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the US, and Ontario is the center of the country’s automobile industry.
Reagan advert sparks diplomatic criticism
Ontario’s government funded the controversial advert, which used excerpts from Reagan’s 1987 radio address about foreign trade. The video quoted Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, responsible for preserving the late president’s legacy, condemned the advert for “selective editing” and said it misrepresented Reagan’s words. The foundation also confirmed that Ontario never requested permission to use the material.
Trump insisted the ad 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 pledged to air the Reagan advert in every Republican-led district across the United States.
No meeting planned 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 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 court is set to hear the case next month, which Trump called “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series highlights playful tariff rivalry
Ontario has used the World Series to highlight opposition to US tariffs in a playful way. In a humorous video released Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom joked about the Blue Jays-Dodgers matchup.
Ford promised 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,” he 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 ended their exchange with a cheerful toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
