President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced he is raising tariffs on imports from Canada following an anti-tariff ad from Ontario that featured former President Ronald Reagan.
In a social media post on Saturday, Trump labeled the advertisement a “fraud” and criticized Canadian officials for failing to take it down before the World Series baseball finals.
“Due to their significant distortion of the facts, and hostile actions, I will increase the Tariff on Canada by an additional 10% on top of what they currently pay,” he wrote.
Following Trump’s exit from trade negotiations with Canada on Thursday, the premier of Ontario stated he would remove the ad.
Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, announced on Friday that he would suspend the province’s anti-tariff advertisement initiative in the US, explaining to reporters that the choice was made after consultations with Prime Minister Mark Carney “to facilitate the resumption of trade discussions”.
He added that the advert would still air over the weekend, including during the World Series games featuring the Toronto Blue Jays versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.
US-Canada trade minister Dominic LeBlanc reacted to the tariff hike, stating: “We are prepared to build on the advancements made in productive conversations with American officials over the past few weeks.”
“Our focus remains on achieving outcomes beneficial to workers and families in both nations, which is best accomplished through direct dialogue with the US administration – this lies with the federal government.”
Canada is the sole G7 nation that has not struck a deal with the US since Trump initiated measures to impose high tariffs on goods from key trade partners.
The US has already established a 35% duty on all Canadian imports – however, many are exempt under an existing free trade agreement. Additionally, sector-specific tariffs have been imposed on certain Canadian products, including a 50% levy on metals and 25% on vehicles.
In his message, sent while traveling to Asia, Trump appeared to indicate he was increasing these tariffs by 10 percentage points.
A large portion of Canadian exports are directed to the US, with Ontario being the center of Canada’s automotive industry.
The advertisement, backed by the Ontario government, references former US President Ronald Reagan, a Republican and figurehead of US conservatism, asserting that tariffs “affect every American”.
The video includes segments from a national radio address delivered in 1987, which concentrated on international trade.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, responsible for upholding the former president’s legacy, criticized the advertisement for utilizing “selective” audio and visuals, claiming it misrepresented Reagan’s statements. They also noted that the Ontario government did not obtain permission to use the material.
In his Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump asserted that the advertisement should have been removed sooner.
“Their Advertisement was meant to be taken down IMMEDIATELY, but they allowed it to run last night during the World Series, fully aware that it was a FRAUD,” he wrote while en route to Malaysia.
Ford had previously committed to airing the Reagan advertisement in every district led by Republicans in the US.
Both Trump and Carney will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia, but Trump informed reporters traveling with him on Air Force One that he does not plan to meet with his Canadian counterpart during the visit.
In his statement, Trump also accused Canada of trying to sway an upcoming US Supreme Court case that could jeopardize his entire tariff strategy.
The case, which will be heard by the Supreme Court next month, will decide the constitutionality of the tariffs.
On Thursday, Trump stated that the advertisement was intended to “interfere” with “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER”.
In response to Trump’s tariff increase on Saturday, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce expressed hope that “this escalation threat can be settled through diplomatic means and further discussions”.
“Tariffs, regardless of the level, serve as a tax on America initially, then impact North American competitiveness as a whole,” stated the organization’s CEO, Candace Laing, in a release to the BBC.
The Reagan advertisement is not the only method Ontario – the location of the Toronto Blue Jays – is utilizing the World Series to criticize Trump’s tariffs.
In a video posted on Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom humorously placed bets on which team would win the series.
Throughout the video, both men made light of tariffs, with Ford humorously committing to send Newsom a can of maple syrup should the LA Dodgers emerge victorious.
“The tariff may cost me some extra dollars at the border these days, but it’ll be worth it,” he remarked.
In reply, Newsom requested Ford to resume permitting the sale of American-made alcohol in Ontario’s liquor stores, offering to send him “California’s championship-level wine” if the Blue Jays prevail.
Their exchange concluded with both proclaiming: “Here’s to an exciting World Series, and a tariff-free bond between Ontario and California.”
