Trump calls off trade talks with Canada after Ontario airs ad in US of Reagan denouncing tariffs | Trump administration

Marco Rubio confirmed Friday that all trade negotiations with Canada had been suspended as Canadian authorities republished on social media a five-minute excerpt of a 1987 Ronald Reagan speech denouncing tariffs that appeared to anger Donald Trump.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose government aired Reagan’s ad in U.S. markets this week, posted on X that the two countries are “stronger together,” while Trump added his own series of social media posts touting the supposed benefits of the tariffs.

“Canada and the United States are friends, neighbors and allies. President Ronald Reagan knew we are stronger together,” Ford wrote on X alongside Reagan’s video. “God bless Canada and God bless the United States. »

The breakdown in relations apparently stemmed from a one-minute television ad featuring Reagan’s radio speech declaring that “trade barriers hurt every American worker.”

Trump responded on Truth Social with no evidence that Canada had somehow run a “fraudulent” and “false” ad, and announced that “all trade negotiations with Canada are over.”

Rubio, the secretary of state, told reporters Friday that Ford had aired ads in the United States that “took President Reagan’s comments out of context,” adding that the Reagan Foundation had also criticized the move. “The president has announced that he is suspending all trade negotiations with Canada for the time being,” Rubio said.

The Reagan Foundation said Thursday that the Ontario government’s ad “distorts” Reagan’s speech, without explaining how. He said officials “did not seek or obtain permission to use and edit the remarks” and added that the organization was reviewing its legal options.

He also encouraged people to watch the video of Reagan’s speech on his YouTube channel.

Ford’s office responded by republishing the longer, five-minute excerpt and said the ad uses “an unedited excerpt from one of Reagan’s public addresses, which is available in the public domain.”

Democratic lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee stepped in to defend Ontario’s ad. “This is the ad that pushed Trump to cancel all trade negotiations with Canada,” the committee posted on social media. “Unlike Trump’s AI talk, this is real and echoes Reagan’s own words on tariffs.”

The dispute comes as both countries face critical deadlines in the coming weeks. Next week marks the end of public comment on the planned review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is scheduled for a mandatory six-year review in July 2026. The next day, on November 4, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will present a federal budget that is expected to focus on reducing dependence on U.S. markets.

Then, on November 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider constitutional challenges to Trump’s authority to impose tariffs under emergency powers. A federal appeals court ruled in August that the sweeping duties exceeded presidential authority, potentially undermining the legal basis for the 35% tariffs currently applied to Canadian steel, aluminum, lumber and automobiles.

Chris Sands, director of the Center for Canadian Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, suggested that the failure of the talks simply formalizes a process at an impasse.

“Can we stop the trade negotiations? Yes, you can stop the negotiations on steel, aluminum, energy, all of that,” he said.

“But there was no evidence that we were going anywhere anyway.”

Sands pointed out the irony of Trump quoting Reagan while harping on his business legacy. “Reagan loved the country – he loved free trade. Maybe Donald Trump believes that, but that’s not what he’s selling now.”

Washington imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian imports this spring, prompting retaliation from Ottawa before Trump increased the tariffs to 35% in August. Ontario, heavily dependent on cross-border manufacturing and automotive trade, has been particularly hard hit. This rift ultimately left Carney facing domestic pressures with a minority government.

“Carney is trying to keep all the provinces together,” Sands said. “He walks a tightrope between angry Canadians, an angry Trump and off-script prime ministers.”