US President Donald Trump has announced new tariffs on Canadian goods after Ontario aired an anti-tariff advert 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 posted on social media Saturday.
Trade conflict between US and Canada deepens
Trump had already withdrawn from trade talks with Canada on Thursday. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday that he would suspend the province’s anti-tariff campaign in the US after consulting 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 games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 country without a trade deal with the US since Trump began imposing sweeping tariffs on major trading partners. The US currently imposes a 35% levy on Canadian goods, though many are exempt under an existing free trade pact. Additional tariffs include 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he would raise those tariffs by another ten percentage points. About three-quarters of Canada’s exports go to the US, and Ontario is home to most of the country’s car manufacturing.
Reagan’s message reignites political tensions
Ontario’s government funded the advert, which used a quote from Reagan’s 1987 radio address about foreign trade. The former president’s words, “tariffs hurt every American,” were meant to highlight the costs of protectionism.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, responsible for preserving Reagan’s legacy, condemned the advert for “selective editing” and said it misrepresented his message. The foundation also confirmed that Ontario had not asked permission to use the material.
In another 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 earlier promised to air the Reagan advert across every Republican-led district in the US.
No diplomatic thaw in sight at Asia 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 his Canadian counterpart during the trip.
In his post, Trump also accused Canada of trying to influence a US Supreme Court case that could decide the legality of his entire tariff policy. The case, scheduled for next month, could determine whether the tariffs are constitutional. Trump called it “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
Tariffs become a punchline in World Series banter
Ontario has used the World Series stage to criticise Trump’s tariffs in a more playful way. In a humorous video released Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom joked about the Blue Jays-Dodgers series.
They made lighthearted 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 pledged to send “California’s championship-worthy wine” if the Blue Jays win.
Both leaders ended their exchange with a toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
