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U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the termination of all trade negotiations with Canada, citing a “fraudulent” advertisement featuring the late President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation had informed him that Canada “fraudulently used an advertisement, which is fake, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.”
“Tariffs are very important to the national security and economy of the U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, all trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated,” Trump wrote.
The advertisement, produced by the government of Ontario, included edited excerpts from Reagan’s 1987 “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade.” In the clip, Reagan’s voice warned that high tariffs could lead to job losses and trade wars.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said earlier this week that the advertisement, part of a campaign against U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, had caught Trump’s attention. “I heard that the president heard our ad. I’m sure he wasn’t too happy,” Ford said on Tuesday.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute released a statement condemning the use of the material, saying the ad “misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address” and that the Ontario government “did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.” The foundation added it is reviewing its legal options.
The controversy comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Ottawa over tariffs imposed by the Trump administration earlier this year on Canadian steel, aluminum, and autos.
Canada responded with reciprocal measures, and both sides had been engaged in weeks of talks to resolve the dispute, particularly in the steel and aluminum sectors.
Ontario, Canada’s most populous province and largest regional economy, has been among the hardest hit by the tariffs. The province’s $75 million ad campaign was launched to pressure Washington to roll back the measures, which have resulted in job losses and mounting costs for Canadian manufacturers.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Thursday that Ottawa “will not allow unfair U.S. access” to its markets if trade negotiations fail.
The two countries, along with Mexico, are set to review their 2020 continental free trade agreement next year.
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