US President Donald Trump has announced an increase in tariffs on Canadian goods following an anti-tariff advertisement aired by Ontario featuring former US President Ronald Reagan.
Trump called the ad a “fraud” and criticized Canadian officials for allowing it to run 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 wrote on social media Saturday.
US-Canada trade tensions escalate
Trump’s decision came two days after he pulled out of trade talks with Canada, worsening an already tense relationship. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday 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 confirmed, however, that the advert would continue airing during the World Series, featuring the Toronto Blue Jays against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 nation without a new trade agreement with the US since Trump began imposing tariffs on major partners. The US currently enforces a 35% levy on Canadian goods, though many items are exempt under a free trade deal. Certain sectors face higher rates, including 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he was adding ten percentage points to those tariffs. About 75% of Canada’s exports go to the US, and Ontario remains the hub of the country’s automobile industry.
Reagan ad sparks diplomatic backlash
The controversial advert, funded by Ontario’s government, used clips from Reagan’s 1987 radio address on foreign trade. It quoted Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which protects the late president’s legacy, condemned the ad for “selective editing” and accused Ontario of misrepresenting Reagan’s message. The foundation also said the province never requested permission to use the material.
In another post, Trump said the ad should have been removed immediately. “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 in the United States.
Trump rejects meeting with Canadian 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 a US Supreme Court case that could decide whether his tariff policy is constitutional. The case is scheduled for next month, which Trump called “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series becomes a platform for playful tariff debates
Ontario has used the World Series stage to highlight its opposition to Trump’s tariffs in a lighthearted way. In a video released Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom joked 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 resume sales of American-made alcohol in Ontario’s liquor stores. He pledged to send “California’s championship-worthy wine” if the Blue Jays win.
Both leaders concluded their exchange with a toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
