Ontario Halts Anti-Tariff Ad Amid Trade Tensions with the US

Sun Oct 26 2025 06:24:13 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In response to President Trump's backlash, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has decided to pause the province's anti-tariff advertisement campaign aimed at US audiences, hoping to retain focus on ongoing trade talks.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the suspension of the province's controversial anti-tariff ad campaign targeting the US, following President Trump's termination of trade negotiations. The decision came after discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney, aiming to ease tensions and resume dialogues. The ad, which uses quotes from former President Ronald Reagan, sparked significant backlash from Trump and raised concerns over its impact on Canada-US trade relations.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said he will pause his province's anti-tariff advertisement campaign in the US, after it prompted President Donald Trump to terminate trade talks.

Ford - one of Canada's most vocal critics of US levies on Canadian goods - said he made the decision after speaking to Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday, adding that the TV spot will be paused on Monday 'so that trade talks can resume'.

It will still run over the weekend on US networks, he said, including during the Major League Baseball World Series games.

Trump criticised the advert late on Thursday night in a Truth Social post, calling it 'FAKE' and 'egregious'. He said trade talks were 'HEREBY TERMINATED'.

The advert, which was sponsored by the Ontario government, quotes former US President Ronald Reagan, claiming tariffs 'hurt every American'.

The Ronald Reagan Foundation released a statement stating the advert used 'selective' audio and video of the former president's remarks, accusing the Ontario government of misrepresenting Reagan's address without permission.

Ford stated that the intention of the advert was 'to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build' and the impact of tariffs. His approach has drawn mixed reactions within Canada regarding whether a confrontational stance is beneficial or detrimental to Canada-US relations.

Despite the pause on the ad, Ford's defiance contrasts with Carney's more conciliatory approach in trade negotiations, which are still ongoing amidst existing tariffs and tensions.