Trump Terminates Trade Talks with Canada Following Controversial Tariffs Advertisement

Sat Oct 25 2025 13:00:52 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

President Trump has declared an abrupt end to trade negotiations with Canada after the country's government aired an advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. The decision comes amid rising tensions over worsening trade relations and ongoing tariffs.

In a dramatic move, President Trump announced the termination of all trade negotiations with Canada due to a provocative advertisement run by the Ontario government. The ad, featuring former President Ronald Reagan, assailed the concept of tariffs, prompting Trump to impose a 35% levy on Canadian imports. This situation further complicates international trade relations as the impacts of ongoing tariffs are felt in both countries, particularly in the automotive and steel industries.

US President Donald Trump has said he is immediately ending all trade negotiations with Canada.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the country had run an advert featuring former US President Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.

Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED, Trump wrote late on Thursday.

The US president has imposed a 35% levy on Canadian imports, although he has allowed exemptions for goods that fall under the USMCA - a free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada that Trump negotiated during his first term.

Trump said the video, sponsored by the Ontario government, was designed to interfere with the US Supreme Court, referring to an upcoming decision in November on whether Washington's sweeping global tariffs are legal.

The court's decision represents the biggest test of Trump's presidential authority and signature economic policy, potentially forcing the US to refund billions collected in tariffs.

In the minute-long advert published last week, Reagan's voice is heard narrating over images that include the New York Stock Exchange and cranes adorned with both US and Canadian flags.

The video excerpts a 1987 national radio address by Reagan that focused on foreign trade.

When someone says 'let's impose tariffs on foreign imports', it looks like they're doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes, for a short while it works, but only for a short time, Reagan says.

In a post on X, the Ronald Reagan Foundation said that the Ontario government had used selective audio and video of the former US president's remarks on tariffs and that it did not receive permission to use and edit the remarks.

Doubling down on the issue, Ontario Premier Doug Ford asserted that his government would continue its fight against American tariffs, which have significantly impacted Ontario's economy, particularly affecting the automotive and steel sectors.

The advert was part of a $75 million Canadian dollar campaign aired on major US TV channels. As trade tensions escalate, the implications of Trump's tariffs could lead to further economic strain on both nations.