President Donald Trump abruptly ended trade talks with Canada, deepening tensions between the two close neighbors and long-standing economic partners.
The US president said Thursday that he was pausing negotiations in response to an announcement released last week by the Ontario provincial government.
The ad included audio of a 1987 speech by former US President Ronald Reagan in which he condemned tariffs as harmful to American workers and consumers.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation later distanced itself from the ad, saying it “misrepresents” the late president’s comments and was used without permission.
Reacting on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump criticized the commercial as “fraudulent” and accused Canada of trying to “interfere with the decision of the United States Supreme Court and other courts.”
“Based on your egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump wrote.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who shared the announcement on Oct. 16, defended it as part of efforts to counter U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports. “Using all the tools we have, we will never stop defending US tariffs on Canada,” he wrote.
Despite a disclaimer stating that the ad was not endorsed by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library or Foundation, the controversy has intensified diplomatic friction between the two nations.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who recently met with Trump at the White House to ease trade tensions, has yet to officially respond. Before Trump’s latest comments, Carney had posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Canada planned to diversify its trade network and double non-U.S. exports in the next decade.
Trade relations between the United States and Canada have been strained since Trump imposed heavy tariffs on key Canadian exports such as steel, aluminum, automobiles, lumber and energy under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The policy has contributed to Canada’s highest unemployment rate in nearly a decade.
“This is the last thing any of the countries need,” said Jack Buffington, director of the Supply Chain Program at the University of Denver. “We need to stabilize the North American supply chain, especially given the United States’ challenges with China.”
Although recent talks between the two leaders hinted at improving relations, Trump’s latest statement appears to have ended any hope of reconciliation in the short term.
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