Trump Increases Canadian Tariffs By 10 Per Cent Over Ontario’s Anti-Tariff Ad
Photo Credit: UNILAD
On Oct. 25, US President Donald Trump abruptly announced an additional 10 per cent tariff on imported Canadian goods, following his disapproval of an anti-tariff ad featuring Ronald Reagan that was sponsored by the Ontario government.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Oct. 25 that “Canada was caught, red handed, putting up a fraudulent advertisement on Ronald Reagan’s Speech on Tariffs”. He added that he was outraged that the ad aired during the World Series, saying that it should’ve been taken down “IMMEDIATELY.”
On Oct. 24, after Trump called off trade negotiations, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that he would be pausing his province’s $75-million anti-tariff ad campaign — even though it was supposed to be broadcast on major US television networks until the end of January 2026, according to CTV News. However, after a discussion with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ford chose to retract the ad “so that trade talks can resume,” according to BBC News. Nevertheless, Ford added that the ad would still run over the weekend, including during games for the World Series.
"Because of [Canada’s] 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," Trump said on Truth Social.
Ontario’s one-minute anti-tariff ad features former US President Ronald Reagan, one of the most well-liked Republican presidents in history, saying that tariffs cause trade wars and that “over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.”
The ad borrows segments of a 5-minute 1987 address Ronald Reagan made about tariffs and trade. Although the ad avoids altering Reagan’s words and only includes excerpts from the original address, it does change the chronological order of his comments. As well, the ad also ignores a large part of the 1987 address, where Reagan justifies placing tariffs on Japanese products by framing the situation as a special case scenario.
In a statement posted to X, the Ronald Reagan Foundation criticized the ad for its use of “selective audio and video,” and said it misrepresented Reagan’s original address. The Foundation also said that the Ontario government did not get permission to use the footage and that they’re reviewing their legal options, although it is unclear whether or not consent was legally necessary, according to The Times of India.
According to CTV News, Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc stated that Canada remains committed to negotiations with the US. “As the Prime Minister said yesterday, we stand ready to build on the progress made in constructive discussions with American counterparts over the course of recent weeks,” LeBlanc said on X. “We will remain focused on achieving results that benefit workers and families in both the United States and Canada, and that progress is best achieved through direct engagement with the U.S. administration — which is the responsibility of the federal government."
According to CBC News, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association and member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations, also commented on Trump’s newest Canadian tariff on X, saying "to be clear, a TV commercial is about to cost American consumers about $50B because [Trump's] mad."