US President Donald Trump has announced an increase in tariffs on Canadian goods after Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan.
Trump blasted the ad as 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 on Saturday.
Trade standoff intensifies between US and Canada
Trump’s announcement followed his withdrawal from trade talks with Canada on Thursday, escalating an already tense relationship. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Friday that 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 said, however, that the advert would continue to run over the weekend during the World Series, featuring the Toronto Blue Jays against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 country without a new trade agreement with the US since Trump began imposing broad tariffs on major partners. The US already enforces a 35% levy on Canadian goods, though many items remain exempt under a free trade deal. Some industries face even higher charges, such as 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he was adding another ten percentage points to those tariffs. Roughly three-quarters of Canada’s exports go to the US, and Ontario serves as the country’s manufacturing core, particularly in the auto sector.
Reagan ad sparks political and diplomatic backlash
Ontario’s government sponsored the controversial advert, which used excerpts from Reagan’s 1987 radio address about foreign trade. The clip quoted Reagan declaring that tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, responsible for preserving the late president’s legacy, criticized the advert for “selective” editing and accused the Ontario government of misrepresenting Reagan’s words. It also confirmed the province had not sought permission to use the material.
In another post on Truth Social, Trump said the ad should have been pulled sooner. “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 United States.
Trump refuses meeting with Canada’s 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 whether his tariff policy is constitutional. The court will hear the case next month, which Trump called “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
Lighthearted rivalry masks deeper trade tensions
Ontario has continued using the World Series stage to poke fun at US tariffs. In a playful video posted Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom exchanged jokes 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 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 ended the video laughing and toasting: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
