Trump increases tariffs on Canada by 10 percent over controversial Ontario Ad
Business Desk :
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he is increasing tariffs on Canadian goods by an additional 10 percent, citing a controversial advertisement aired by Ontario, Canada, during the World Series.
The move escalates tensions in the already sensitive trade relationship between the two countries.
The advertisement, created by the Ontario provincial government, features a selectively edited clip of former President Ronald Reagan warning that tariffs can trigger trade wars, economic losses, and job cuts.
According to Trump, the ad was misleading and misrepresented facts, calling it a “fraud” and a “hostile act” against the United States. He first reacted to the ad on Thursday, ending ongoing trade discussions with Ottawa.
Trump confirmed the tariff increase in a Truth Social post while aboard Air Force One, en route to Malaysia for a trade-focused trip through East Asia.
“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 wrote.
Ontario Government Responds
Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated that, following discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the province would pause the ad campaign on Monday to allow trade talks to resume.
However, the ad had already aired during Game 1 of Major League Baseball’s World Series, in which the Toronto Blue Jays faced the Los Angeles Dodgers, prompting Trump’s immediate reaction.
The ad spliced together sentences from Reagan’s 1987 weekly address on trade, but it omitted context explaining that tariffs on Japan at the time were seen as a necessary exception to Reagan’s broader free-trade philosophy.
Critics, including the Reagan Presidential Foundation, have argued that the ad misrepresents Reagan’s true views and may even lead to legal challenges.
Impact on Trade and Tariffs
It is unclear which goods will be affected by the new 10 percent tariff. Most Canadian exports to the U.S. are exempt under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
However, the Trump administration has previously imposed tariffs, including a 35 percent tariff on certain Canadian goods not covered by USMCA, and a 50 percent tariff on steel and aluminum from multiple countries earlier this year.
Despite the escalation, Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Carney, have expressed willingness to resume trade negotiations.
Trump, however, indicated that he does not plan to meet with Carney during the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia.