Trump Says He's Ending All Trade Talks With Canada Over Ad
US President Says TV Ad Featuring Reagan Speaking Negatively About Tariffs Misstates Facts and Is 'Fake'
Key Takeaways:
- President Donald Trump said Oct. 23 he was ending all trade negotiations with Canada over a government ad he called misleading and an attempt to influence U.S. courts.
- The ad from Ontario featured edited 1987 remarks by Ronald Reagan opposing tariffs, prompting condemnation and legal review by the Reagan Foundation.
- The move escalates tensions as Canada seeks to expand exports beyond the U.S. and the countries prepare for a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
[Stay on top of transportation news: .]
PresidentĚýDonald TrumpĚýsaid late Oct. 23 that he was ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada because of aĚýtelevision adĚýin that country opposing U.S. tariffs that he said misstated the facts, calling it “egregious behavior” that is aimed at influencing U.S. court decisions.
The post on Trump's social media site came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he aims to double his country’sĚýexports to countries outside the U.S. because of the threat posed by Trump’s tariffs.
Trump posted, “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”
“The ad was for $75,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Carney’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Oct. 23.
It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched.
Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.
Watch our new ad. — Doug Ford (@fordnation)
Earlier that day, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute posted on X that the ad created by the government of Ontario “misrepresents the 'Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade' dated April 25, 1987.” It added that Ontario did not receive foundation permission “to use and edit the remarks.”
Listen to President Reagan's unedited remarks here: — Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute (@RonaldReagan)
The foundation said it is “reviewing legal options in this matter” and invited the public to watch the unedited video of Reagan's address.
°ä˛ą°ů˛Ô±đ˛âĚýmet with Trump earlier this monthĚýto try to ease trade tensions as the two countries and Mexico prepare for a review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal Trump negotiated in his first term, but has since soured on.
More than three quarters of Canadian exports go to the U.S., and nearly C$3.6 billion ($2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border daily.
In his own post on X last week,ĚýDoug Ford, the premier of Ontario, posted a link to the ad and the message: “It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched.”
He continued, “Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.”
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing belowĚýor go here for more info:
