U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he will raise tariffs on Canadian imports by an additional 10%, citing an Ontario government advertisement that used Ronald Reagan audio to criticize tariffs and aired during Game 1 of the World Series. Trump had halted trade talks with Ottawa on Thursday; Ontario says it will pause the U.S. ad campaign on Monday to help restart negotiations.
Aboard Air Force One en route to Malaysia, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he would increase tariffs on Canada by 10% “above what they’re paying now,” calling the Ontario-produced spot a “FRAUD” and a “serious misrepresentation of the facts” and a “hostile act.” The ad — which had been running for days and aired again Friday during the Toronto Blue Jays–Los Angeles Dodgers World Series opener — strings together lines from a Reagan weekly radio address warning that tariffs trigger trade wars and job losses.
Trump first reacted late Thursday by ending trade talks with Canada. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday that, after discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the province will pause the U.S. ad campaign starting Monday so talks can resume. Carney has said Ottawa is ready to negotiate.
It remains unclear which goods will be covered by the new 10% increase. Most Canadian exports to the United States are shielded from such levies under the United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement, signed during Trump’s first term. Earlier this year, the administration doubled Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50% and, in August, raised to 35% the tariff applied to Canadian goods that do not qualify under USMCA — measures that have weighed on sectors on both sides of the border.
The Ontario ad uses five complete Reagan sentences spliced out of sequence. The original address also explained that limited U.S. tariffs on Japan were an exception to Reagan’s broader free‑trade stance — a context not included in the ad. Trump has argued the spot misrepresents Reagan and U.S. policy.
White House adviser Kevin Hassett said Friday that the president is frustrated with Canada and that recent talks have not gone well. The Commerce Department, the White House and the Canadian prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump and Carney are both due in Kuala Lumpur for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. Trump told reporters he has no plans to meet the Canadian leader during the trip.
