Donald Trump, the world leader, said a television advert opposing US tariffs misstated facts and called “egregious behaviour” aimed at influencing US court decisions
Petulant Donald Trump is ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada — because of television adverts.
The President said he felt “egregious behaviour” in the advertisements was aimed at influencing US court decisions and opposed tariffs. Trade tensions between the US and Canada have been building for several months, and it is thought Mr Trump’s abrupt move to axe negotiations will only inflame the situation.
Writing on Truth Social, Mr Trump, 79, said: “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. TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE USA. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had said he aimed to double his country’s exports to countries outside the US because of the threat posed by Mr Trump’s tariffs.
But Mr Carney’s office is yet to respond to a request for comment. The 60-year-old prime minister has left this morning Friday for a summit in Asia, while Mr Trump is set to do the same tonight.
Last night, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute posted on X that an 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.”
The foundation said it is “reviewing legal options in this matter” and invited the public to watch the unedited video of Reagan’s address.
But Mr Trump met with Mr Carney earlier this month to try to ease trade tensions, as the two countries and Mexico prepare for a review of the US-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 US, and nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border daily.
Mr Trump said earlier this week that he had seen the ad on television and said that it showed that his tariffs were having an impact. He said then: “I saw an ad last night from Canada. If I was Canada, I’d take that same ad also.”
In his own post on X last week, Doug 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.”