Trump raises tariffs on Canadian goods in response to Reagan ad

US President Donald Trump said he was raising tariffs on goods imported from Canada after the province of Ontario aired an anti-tariff ad featuring former President Ronald Reagan.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump called the ad “a hoax” and attacked Canadian officials for not removing it before the World Cup.

“Due to their gross misrepresentation of facts and hostile actions, I am increasing the tariff to Canada by 10% above what they are paying now,” he wrote.

After Trump on Thursday pulled out of trade talks with Canada, Ontario’s premier said he would pull the ad.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he will halt his province’s campaign against U.S. tariffs, telling reporters he made the decision after discussions with Premier Mark Carney “so trade talks can resume.”

He also said it will continue through the weekend, including during the World Series games, which include the Toronto Blue Jays against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Canada is the only G7 country that has not reached a deal with the US since Trump began pushing for high tariffs on goods from major trading partners.

The US has already imposed a 35% tax on all Canadian goods – although most are exempt under an existing free trade agreement. It also imposed sector-specific levies on Canadian goods, including a 50 per cent levy on metals and 25 per cent on cars.

In his post, sent while on a trip to Asia, Trump appeared to say he was adding 10 percentage points to those taxes.

Three-quarters of Canadian exports are sold in the US, and Ontario is home to the majority of Canadian auto production.

The ad, which was sponsored by the Ontario government, quoted former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, a Republican and icon of American conservatism, as saying the tariffs “hurt every American.”

The video includes excerpts from a 1987 national radio address that focused on foreign trade.

The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which is charged with preserving the former president’s legacy, criticized the ad for using “selective” audio and video and said it misrepresented Reagan’s address. It also said the Ontario government did not seek permission to use it.

In his post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said the ad should have been taken down sooner.

“Their ad should have been taken down IMMEDIATELY but they ran it last night during the World Series knowing it was a SCAM,” he wrote while flying to Malaysia.

Ford had previously promised to run a Reagan ad in every Republican-held district in the US.

Both Trump and Carney will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia, but Trump told reporters accompanying him aboard Air Force One that he had “no intention” of meeting his Canadian counterpart during the trip.

In his post, Trump also accused Canada of trying to manipulate an upcoming US Supreme Court case that could end his entire tariff regime.

The case, which will be heard by the US highest court next month, will determine whether the tariffs are constitutional.

On Thursday, Trump also lashed out, claiming the ad was designed to “get in the way” of “THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE TO BE ON.”

The Reagan ad isn’t the only way Ontario — home of the Toronto Blue Jays — is using the World Series as a platform to criticize Trump’s tariffs.

In a video released Friday, Ford and California Gov. Gavin Newsom jokingly placed bets on which team would win the series.

Both men repeatedly joked about the tariffs in the video, with Ford promising to send Newsom a case of maple syrup if the LA Dodgers won.

“The fare might cost me a few extra bucks at the border these days, but it will be worth it,” he wrote.

In response, Newsom asked Ford to resume allowing American liquor to be sold in the province’s liquor stores and promised to send “California wine worthy of the championship” if the Blue Jays triumphed.

The two ended their exchange by saying, “Here’s to a great World Cup and tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”