The incident adds uncertainty to the US-Canada relationship just as both countries prepare for next year’s review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement|Antony-22|CC BY-SA 4.0
A single television ad from Ontario has upended weeks of negotiations between the US and Canada over steel and aluminum tariffs.
The ad, which aired in the US, used audio from a 1987 speech by former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs, arguing that trade barriers ultimately hurt workers and consumers.
President Trump, who had initially downplayed the ad, abruptly ended trade talks Thursday, citing it as an attempt by Canada to influence US policy and the Supreme Court ahead of a key tariff case.
The termination of talks comes despite growing optimism following a friendly Oval Office meeting earlier this month between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, during which both leaders expressed confidence in restoring the trade relationship.
Carney said Friday he remains ready to resume negotiations. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also announced that the ad campaign would pause starting Monday, but the White House has yet to respond.
The incident adds uncertainty to the US-Canada relationship as both countries prepare for next year’s review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
The Reagan Foundation said the ad misrepresented Reagan’s words and is reviewing legal options, further raising the stakes.