Canada’s Ontario province to pause anti-tariff ad after Trump ends trade talks

Carney told reporters earlier that Canada is ready to resume trade talks “when the Americans are ready.”

Trump brands advert ‘egregious’

The advert, sponsored by the Ontario government, quoted former US President Ronald Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American.” It was drawn from a 1987 national radio address focused on foreign trade.

Trump reacted on Truth Social late Thursday, calling the campaign “FAKE” and “egregious,” and declared trade talks were “HEREBY TERMINATED.” 

The Ronald Reagan Foundation said the advert used “selective” audio and video and misrepresented Reagan’s remarks, adding that Ontario had not sought permission to use it.

Ford described the advert’s goal as starting “a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build” and its impact on tariffs. “We’ve achieved our goal, having reached US audiences at the highest levels,” he said, as per BBC.

The campaign followed tensions over Trump’s tariffs, including a 35 per cent levy on most Canadian goods, sector-specific levies on metals and automobiles, and threats to Ontario’s auto-manufacturing industry.

It, however, remains unclear whether trade talks will resume now that the ad campaign is paused. The White House has criticised Canada for “longstanding, unfair trade barriers,” saying efforts to resolve the issues have not been productive.

Carney, meanwhile, has taken steps such as removing retaliatory tariffs and dropping the digital services tax, but maintains that he seeks “the best deal for Canada.” Both him and Trump are scheduled to attend the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, where trade discussions could continue.