Trump Dominates Trade Talks with New Tariffs Following Reagan Ad Dispute

Tue Oct 28 2025 12:11:52 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a bold move, President Trump has announced an increase in tariffs on Canadian goods after a controversial anti-tariff advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan was aired in Ontario, stirring tension in US-Canada trade relations.

In response to an Ontario advertisement attacking his tariff policies featuring former President Reagan, President Trump has decided to raise tariffs on Canadian imports by an additional 10%. This comes after heated exchanges regarding misrepresented facts and trade negotiations between the two countries, marking a significant escalation in ongoing trade tensions. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, under pressure, indicated a pause on the ad campaign, although it ran during the World Series, compounding the controversy.

US President Donald Trump has said he is increasing tariffs on goods imported from Canada after the province of Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan.

In a post on social media, Trump labeled the advert as a 'fraud' and expressed discontent towards Canadian officials for not pulling it prior to the World Series baseball championship.

'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.

Following Trump's withdrawal from trade talks with Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced he would suspend the advertisement campaign. However, it continued to air through the weekend, including during key World Series matches.

Interestingly, Canada, the only G7 nation yet to finalize a deal with the US under Trump's new tariff regime, faces significant economic repercussions, with three-quarters of its exports sent to the US. Ontario is particularly impacted as it houses a large portion of Canada’s automobile manufacturing.

In Trump's announcement, made while traveling to Asia, he indicated the tariffs would be amended to add 10 percentage points on top of an existing 35% levy on Canadian goods, most of which are exempt due to a pre-existing free trade agreement.

During a video interaction regarding the ongoing sports event, Ford joked about the tariffs with California Governor Gavin Newsom, pledging to send Canadian maple syrup if the Los Angeles Dodgers win.

Trump's post implied that Canada was trying to influence an upcoming Supreme Court case that could redefine the constitutionality of his tariff strategies. This dispute highlights the tensions that have emerged as both leaders head to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia.