Trump Hikes Tariffs on Canadian Goods After Controversial Ontario Ad Featuring Ronald Reagan:

Washington, D.C., October 26, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will impose an additional 10 percent tariff on Canadian goods, escalating tensions between the two neighbors after a controversial anti-tariff advertisement from Ontario featured the late President Ronald Reagan. The move marks a sharp downturn in U.S.-Canada relations and comes just two days after Trump declared that he was ending all trade talks with Ottawa over what he called a “fake” and “fraudulent” ad campaign. “Their advertisement was to be taken down immediately, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform while en route to Asia for regional meetings. “Because of their 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,” he added. The ad, commissioned by the Ontario provincial government, used excerpts from a 1987 radio address by Reagan in which the Republican icon warned that high tariffs could trigger trade wars and harm the U.S. economy. The clip included the quote, “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars,” which accurately reflects Reagan’s original speech, according to records from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. However, the Ronald Reagan Foundation criticized Ontario’s use of the material, accusing it of employing “selective audio and video” to distort the late president’s message. The foundation also stated that it was reviewing legal options over the ad’s use of Reagan’s likeness and words. In response, Ontario’s government said it would pull the ad by Monday in hopes of reopening trade negotiations with Washington. The trade spat comes at a time when Trump’s global tariff policies — particularly on steel, aluminum, and automobiles — have already hit Canada’s manufacturing and export sectors hard. Analysts estimate that tens of thousands of Canadian jobs have been affected since the tariff hikes began earlier this year. Despite the escalating rhetoric, both nations continue to operate under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which ensures that about 85 percent of cross-border trade remains tariff-free. But the new levies could strain that pact and raise costs for industries on both sides of the border. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking earlier this week, criticized the U.S. tariffs, saying they have risen “to levels last seen during the Great Depression.” He called for a “dramatic shift” in Canada’s economic strategy, acknowledging that “the process will take some sacrifices and some time.” Both Trump and Carney are expected to attend a dinner at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea on Wednesday, though Trump has publicly stated that he has no plans to meet his Canadian counterpart. Adding a cultural twist to the diplomatic standoff, the World Series has a cross-border flavor this year, featuring the Toronto Blue Jays against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Blue Jays dominated Game 1 on Friday, winning 11–4 — a symbolic victory for Canada as political and trade tensions continue to rise.

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