US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that all trade talks with Canada have been terminated after what he said was a fake ad in which former President Ronald Reagan spoke negatively about tariffs.
“Based on their outrageous behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Canadian province of Ontario has invested $75 million in airing a new anti-tariff ad in the United States, aimed primarily at Republican voters.
The ad uses an audio recording of a 1987 speech by former US President Ronald Reagan, who said that tariffs don’t work in the long run and cause job losses and trade wars.
The ad includes television stations such as Fox News, Fox Sports, NBC, CBS, CNBC, ESPN and ABC, and it is not the first anti-tariff ad to air in the United States. Ontario’s advertising campaign in the U.S.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said earlier this week that an ad with anti-tariff messages caught Trump’s attention. “I heard the president saw our ad. I’m sure he wasn’t too happy,” Ford said Tuesday.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation also spoke out about the case, saying the Ontario government’s ad “selectively uses audio and video” of Reagan and that the foundation is reviewing its legal options.
“The ad misrepresents a presidential radio speech, and the Ontario government did not seek or receive permission to use and edit it,” the foundation said in a statement released late Thursday.
According to Reuters, Trump has used tariffs as leverage against many countries around the world. His “trade war” has raised U.S. tariffs to their highest levels since the 1930s, and he has regularly threatened additional tariffs, raising concerns among businesses and economists.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said told reporters on Thursday that Canada would not allow the United States unfair access to its markets if talks on various trade deals with Washington fail.
Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and cars earlier this year, prompting Ottawa to retaliate. The two sides have been negotiating a potential deal for the steel and aluminum sectors for weeks.
The United States, Canada and Mexico are due to review their 2020 Continental Free Trade Agreement next year.
