Trump Ends Trade Negotiations With Canada Over “Fake” TV Ad

Donald Trump has terminated all trade negotiations with Canada over a television advert protesting U.S. tariffs.

In a fuming Truth Social post, Trump said Canada created the ad, which uses part of a Ronald Reagan radio address, to interfere with U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

It was created by the Ontario Government as part of a U.S. advertising campaign to make the case against American tariffs on Canada, reportedly costing $75 million Canadian dollars.

The termination of trade negotiations comes as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced he would be doubling non-U.S. exports over the next decade.

“Our core mission is to build a stronger economy — one that doesn’t rely on a single trade partner. In the next decade, we’ll double our non-U.S. exports,” Carney said on X.

“That means hundreds of billions of dollars in new orders for Canadian steel, aluminum, lumber, and other resources.”

Currently, the U.S. has a 35% tariff on Canada due to what it claims is a failure to tackle the cross-border flow of fentanyl, as well as sector-specific tariffs.

There is a 50% levy on metals and 25% on automobiles.

Ontario has been one of the Canadian provinces hit the hardest by the sector-specific tariffs.

On Truth Social, Trump said that Canada had “fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”

“The ad was for $75,000,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts,” he added.

“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A.”

“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute said it was reviewing its legal options after learning Ontario had used audio from Reagan’s 1987 radio address.

“The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute learned that the Government of Ontario, Canada, created an ad campaign using selective audio and video of President Ronald Reagan delivering his ‘Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade,’ dated April 25, 1987,” it said in a statement.

“The ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address, and the Government of Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.”

“The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is reviewing its legal options in this matter. We encourage you to watch President Reagan’s unedited video on our YouTube channel.”

The ad was shared by Ontario Premier Doug Ford on X last week and does feature a note at the end stating it was not approved by the Reagan Presidential Foundation or the Reagan Presidential Library.

Ford wrote, “It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched. 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.”

Earlier this month, auto company Stellantis said it was moving production for its SUV from Ontario to Illinois.

Neither Carney nor Ford has commented on trade negotiations being canceled, but Carney and Trump are both heading to Asia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit (ASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur, which kicks off on Sunday, October 26.

Some Canadian goods covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are not subject to the high tariffs.

However, this agreement, negotiated during Trump’s first term, is up for a formal review next year.

Canada has historically been one of the U.S.’ top trading partners, with it being the top destination for U.S. exports and the third-largest source of U.S. imports in 2024.

U.S. goods imported from Canada in 2024 totaled $411.9 billion, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.