US President Donald Trump has disclosed that 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 social media statement on Saturday, Trump branded the advertisement a “fraud” and chastised Canadian officials for not removing it ahead of the World Series baseball tournament.
“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 discussions with Canada on Thursday, the Ontario premier said that the advertisement would be removed.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Friday that his province’s anti-tariff advertising campaign in the United States would be paused, telling reporters that he took the decision after negotiations with Prime Minister Mark Carney “so that trade talks can resume.”
He also stated that it would continue to air over the weekend, including World Series games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
US-Canada trade minister Dominic LeBlanc responded to the tariff increase, saying, “We stand ready to build on the progress made in constructive discussions with American counterparts over the course of recent weeks.
“We will remain focused on achieving results that benefit workers and families in both the United States and Canada, and that progress is best achieved through direct engagement with the US administration—which is the responsibility of the federal government.”
Canada is the only G7 country that has yet to negotiate an agreement with the United States since Trump began threatening to impose heavy tariffs on goods from major trading partners.
The US has already levied a 35% tariff on all Canadian exports, while the majority are exempt under an existing free trade deal. It has also imposed sector-specific tariffs on Canadian imports, including a 50% tax on metals and a 25% tax on vehicles.
In his post, which was posted while he was overseas in Asia, Trump appeared to claim he was raising those taxes by 10 percentage points.
Three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the United States, while Ontario is home to the majority of Canada’s vehicle production.
The Ontario government-sponsored advertisement quotes former US President Ronald Reagan, a Republican and icon of US conservatism, as claiming tariffs “hurt every American.”
The video includes parts from a 1987 national radio talk about foreign commerce.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation, which is responsible for protecting the former president’s legacy, criticized the advertisement for using “selective” audio and footage and misrepresenting Reagan’s speech. It further stated that the Ontario government did not seek authorization to use it.
Trump stated in a Truth Social post on Saturday that the advertisement should have been taken off earlier.
“Their advertisement was to be taken down immediately, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a fraud,” he wrote while flying to Malaysia.
Ford had earlier vowed to air the Reagan advertisement in every Republican-controlled district in the United States.
Both Trump and Carney will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia, but Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he has no “intention” of meeting with his Canadian counterpart during the trip.
In his statement, Trump also accused Canada of attempting to influence a forthcoming US Supreme Court lawsuit that might overturn his tariff policy.
The highest court in the United States will hear the issue next month to assess whether the tariffs are constitutional.
On Thursday, Trump stated that the advertisement was intended to “interfere” with “the most important case ever.”
In response to Trump’s rate hike on Saturday, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce expressed hope that “this threat of escalation can be resolved through diplomatic channels and further negotiation.”
“Tariffs at any level remain a tax on America first, then North American competitiveness as a whole,” the organization’s CEO, Candace Laing, said.
The Reagan advertisement isn’t the only way Ontario, home of the Toronto Blue Jays, is using the World Series to criticize Trump’s tariffs.
In a video aired on Friday, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom humorously wagered on which team will win the series.
In the video, both men made several jokes about tariffs, with Ford promising to give Newsom a can of maple syrup if the Dodgers won.
“The tariff might cost me a few extra bucks at the border these days, but it’ll be worth it,” he wrote.
In response, Newsom urged Ford to begin permitting American-produced alcohol to be sold in provincial liquor stores, promising to deliver him “California’s championship-worthy wine” if the Blue Jays won.
They closed their conversation by saying, “Here’s to a great World Series and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
