US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he is halting all trade negotiations with Canada, citing television advertisements he said were intended to influence American court decisions.President Trump described the ads as “egregious behavior” and accused Canada of misusing footage of former President Ronald Reagan. “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump added.Earlier this week, Trump said he had seen the ad on television and interpreted it as evidence that his tariffs were making an impact.The move follows remarks from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said he plans to double Canada’s exports to markets outside the US in response to the threat posed by Trump’s tariffs.The advertisement, launched by Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government for $75 million highlights former President Ronald Reagan’s warning about the harm of tariffs.The 60-second TV spot features workers, such as welders and bakers, as well as families, while using Reagan’s 1987 radio address, in which he stated that trade barriers hurt all American workers and consumers, as cited by the Globe and Mail. “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars,” Reagan says. “Then the worst happens. Markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs. Throughout the world, there’s a growing realization that the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition,” Reagan says in the advertisement.Ford revealed the $ 75 million price tag for the ads during a speech earlier this month at the Empire Club of Canada luncheon in downtown Toronto. He added that the province plans to deliver the message “to every Republican district” across the United States.“We’re just going to speak the truth,” Ford said. “That ad, it’s not a nasty ad. It’s actually just very factual. Coming from a person like Ronald Reagan, every Republican is going to identify that voice.”The Ronald Reagan Foundation dismissed the ad as a “misrepresentation” and said it is reviewing legal options to challenge its use.“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 option in this matter,” the Foundation said through a post on X.
