Trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada collapsed Thursday after Ontario released an ad featuring Ronald Reagan’s 1987 remarks against tariffs, drawing sharp criticism from the Reagan Foundation and angering Washington.
The ad was aimed at opposing U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, with Ford declaring, “Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.”
The move has sent shockwaves through diplomatic and economic circles, threatening to derail long-standing trade cooperation between the two close North American partners.
Trump described the ad as “fraudulent” and accused Canada of attempting to “interfere” with U.S. domestic policy and court decisions.
However, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation swiftly criticized the ad, claiming it “misrepresents” Reagan’s message and confirming that Ontario’s government did not seek permission to use the recording.
By Thursday evening, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to denounce the ad in a fiery statement saying that the Ronald Reagan Foundation has announced that Canada fraudulently used an advertisement, which is fake, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.
He accused Ontario’s leaders of attempting to manipulate public opinion and judicial processes in the United States, saying, “The ad aimed to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts.”
He defended his administration’s use of tariffs, describing them as essential to protecting American industries and national security.
The decision effectively halts ongoing bilateral discussions on trade and could strain relations between the two nations, which share one of the world’s largest trading partnerships.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office and Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for U.S.-Canada trade relations, have yet to comment on Trump’s announcement.
The abrupt suspension marks the latest flashpoint in a series of tensions between Washington and Ottawa over trade, tariffs, and cross-border policies.
The advertisement, though carrying a disclaimer noting that it was “not approved or sponsored by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library or the Ronald Reagan Foundation,” has nonetheless stirred international debate about political messaging and intellectual property in diplomacy.
In the full version of his 1987 address, Reagan had emphasized that more than five million American jobs were tied directly to exports, with millions more depending on imports, statements not included in the Ontario ad.
His message was originally aimed at warning against economic isolationism, a point the Foundation insisted had been distorted in the Canadian context.
As of late Thursday, it remained unclear whether the White House’s decision would be permanent or if any diplomatic backchannels could restore the stalled talks.
But Trump’s declaration signals a sharp downturn in U.S.-Canada relations, with trade policy once again at the center of political controversy.
