US president slams Ontario’s “misleading” trade advertisement, says it was a “fraudulent act” aired despite prior warnings.
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he is imposing an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports, escalating tensions between Washington and Ottawa. The move came after Trump reacted sharply to an advertisement by Canada’s Ontario province, which aired during the World Series broadcast and criticized tariff policies using a clip of former US President Ronald Reagan.
The ad, which has been running for several days, featured Reagan warning that tariffs can lead to “trade wars and economic disaster.” Trump labeled the commercial as “misleading and fraudulent,” saying it had intentionally misrepresented his trade policy.
Trump Reacts Angrily to Ontario’s Ad Campaign
In a fiery post on Truth Social, Trump accused Canadian officials of acting in bad faith by allowing the ad to air despite earlier complaints from Washington. “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,” he wrote.
The U.S. president added, “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.”
The latest tariff hike follows Trump’s decision on Thursday to suspend trade talks with Ottawa, citing the same advertisement as the reason. He reiterated that the United States “will not tolerate dishonest campaigns” that distort trade policy for political purposes.
Canadian Response and Efforts to Resume Dialogue
In response to Trump’s outrage, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Friday that after consultations with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the province would pause the U.S. ad campaign starting Monday to allow trade discussions to resume.
The controversial commercial aired on Friday night during Game 1 of the Major League Baseball World Series, where the Toronto Blue Jays faced the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Trump posted his latest remarks while aboard Air Force One, en route to Malaysia, the first stop on a multi-nation Asian tour focused on trade and economic diplomacy.
As of Saturday evening, the U.S. Commerce Department, the White House, and the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office had not issued official statements in response to Trump’s new tariff announcement.
The escalating dispute marks another flashpoint in the long and often turbulent trade relationship between the two neighbouring nations, with Trump once again leveraging tariffs as a political and economic pressure tool.
