Trump terminates trade talks with Canada over an advert
US President Donald Trump has announced an immediate end to all trade negotiations with Canada over an advert critical of the tariffs he has imposed on the nation.
The advert, sponsored by the government of Canada’s province of Ontario, quoted Trump’s predecessor, Ronald Reagan, an icon of US conservatism, saying tariffs “hurt every American”.
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Trump wrote on social media that the advert was “FAKE” and “egregious”, adding that trade talks were “HEREBY TERMINATED”.
His administration has imposed a 35 per cent levy on many Canadian imports, as well as individual tariffs targeting particular industries like car and steel manufacturing. Ontario has been particularly hard-hit by these.
Trump has allowed exemptions for goods that fall under a free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada that he negotiated during his first term.
But Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has, since his election in early 2025, attempted to strike a deal that would ease the US tariffs.
This has been complicated by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who is one of the most vocal critics of the taxes levied on US firms buying Canadian products.
In the minute-long advert published last week, Reagan’s voice can be heard narrating over images that include the New York Stock Exchange and cranes adorned with both US and Canadian flags.
The video excerpts a 1987 national radio address by Reagan that focused on foreign trade.
“When someone says, ‘let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports’, it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes, for a short while, it works, but only for a short time,” Reagan says in the advert.
“Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.
“High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars… Markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down and millions of people lose their jobs.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation – which is charged with preserving his legacy – released a statement saying the advert had used “selective” audio and video of the former president’s remarks.
It said the advert “misrepresents” the former president’s address, without specifying why, and accused the Ontario government of not seeking permission to use and edit the remarks.
The foundation said it was “reviewing its legal options”.
Trump referenced this statement and said the video was designed to “interfere with” the US Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in November on whether Washington’s sweeping tariffs on many nations’ products are legal.
