US President Donald Trump has announced higher tariffs on Canadian goods after Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan.
Trump called the advert 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.
Trade tensions between US and Canada worsen
Trump’s announcement came two days after he pulled out of trade talks with Canada, heightening tensions between the neighbors. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he would suspend the province’s anti-tariff campaign in the US after discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney “so that trade talks can resume.”
Ford confirmed the advert would still air during the World Series, where the Toronto Blue Jays face the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 country without a trade agreement with the US since Trump began imposing steep tariffs on major trading partners. The US currently enforces a 35% levy on Canadian goods, though many items remain exempt under a free trade deal. Some sectors face higher tariffs, including 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While traveling to Asia, Trump said he planned to add another ten percentage points to those tariffs. About three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the US, with Ontario serving as the country’s automobile hub.
Reagan ad sparks political backlash
The advert, funded by Ontario’s government, used clips from Reagan’s 1987 radio address on foreign trade. The video quoted Reagan warning that tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which safeguards the former president’s legacy, condemned the advert for “selective” editing and accused Ontario of misrepresenting Reagan’s message. The foundation also confirmed that Ontario did not request permission to use the material.
In another social media post, Trump said the advert should have been pulled 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 earlier pledged to air the Reagan advert in every Republican-led district across the United States.
Trump rules out meeting at Asian summit
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 attempting to influence a pending US Supreme Court case that could determine whether his tariff policy is constitutional. The court is scheduled to hear the case next month, which Trump called “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series becomes platform for trade jokes
Ontario has used the World Series stage to poke fun at Trump’s tariffs. In a playful 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 allow American-made alcohol back into Ontario’s liquor stores. He pledged to send “California’s championship-worthy wine” if the Blue Jays win.
The two leaders ended their exchange with a cheerful toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
