President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was ending all trade negotiations with Canada after one of the provincial governments aired an advertisement featuring former US President Ronald Reagan, from the Republican party that Trump represents, criticising tariffs.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford previously announced that the province would spend $75 million on ads targeting US audiences, highlighting Reagan’s opposition to protectionist trade policies.
“They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts. 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 said in a post on Truth Social, a social media platform.
The announcement came hours after the California-based Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said the advertisement distorted remarks from a 1987 presidential address by Reagan and that the editing wasn’t authorised.
Listen to President Reagan’s unedited remarks here: pic.twitter.com/iqmjSuypp0
— Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute (@RonaldReagan) October 24, 2025
The abrupt decision adds new strain to cross-border relations, which had been under review amid disputes over auto imports, dairy quotas, and digital trade provisions. Officials in Ottawa and Toronto have not yet commented on Trump’s announcement.
Canada has consistently been one of the top two trading partners for the United States, with bilateral trade amounting to an estimated $909 billion in 2024.
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