US President Donald Trump has raised tariffs on Canadian goods after Ontario broadcast an anti-tariff advert featuring former US President Ronald Reagan.
Trump called the advert a “fraud” and accused Canadian officials of refusing to remove it 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 on Saturday.
Washington and Ottawa drift further apart
Trump had already ended trade talks with Canada on Thursday, deepening the diplomatic rift. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Friday that 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.”
Still, Ford confirmed the advert would continue airing over the weekend during the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Canada remains the only G7 country without a trade agreement with the US since Trump began imposing heavy tariffs on major partners. The US currently applies a 35% levy on Canadian goods, although many products remain exempt under a free trade deal. Sector-specific tariffs include 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles.
While en route to Asia, Trump said he would raise those tariffs by another ten percentage points. Around three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the US, and Ontario produces most of the country’s vehicles.
Reagan quote ignites new political controversy
The advert, funded by Ontario’s government, used clips from Reagan’s 1987 radio address about foreign trade. In the video, Reagan warned that tariffs “hurt every American.”
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which protects Reagan’s legacy, denounced the advert for “selective editing” and said it misrepresented his speech. The foundation also confirmed Ontario had not requested permission to use the material.
In another post, Trump insisted the advert should have been removed sooner. “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 vowed to air the Reagan-themed advert in every Republican-led district across the United States.
No meeting planned 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 had no “intention” of meeting with his Canadian counterpart during the event.
In his social media post, Trump also accused Canada of trying to influence a pending US Supreme Court case that could determine whether his tariff policy is constitutional. The court will hear the case next month, which Trump called “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE EVER.”
World Series becomes stage for trade jokes
Ontario has used the World Series spotlight to poke fun at Trump’s tariffs. In a humorous video released on Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom joked about the Blue Jays-Dodgers matchup.
They placed friendly bets on the winner, with Ford promising 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,” Ford said.
Newsom replied by asking Ford to allow American-made alcohol back into Ontario’s liquor stores. He promised to send “California’s championship-worthy wine” if the Blue Jays triumph.
Both leaders ended their exchange with a lighthearted toast: “Here’s to a great World Series, and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
