Trump ends trade talks with Canada over Ontario’s tariff ads

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is terminating trade negotiations with Canada because of television advertisements pushing back on his tariffs.

Trump abruptly ended trade talks late Thursday night over an Ontario ad campaign that features footage of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan saying tariffs are damaging to economies.

“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump posted on social media Thursday.

Just before heading to Asia at Ottawa’s airport Friday morning, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that while Canada can’t control U.S. trade policy, it can work to build up the domestic economy.

“Our officials, my colleagues, have been working with their American colleagues on detailed, constructive negotiations, discussions on specific transactions, specific sectors — steel, aluminum and energy — and a lot of progress has been made,” Carney said.

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“We stand ready to pick up on that progress and build on that progress, when the Americans are ready to have those discussions.”

Carney met with Trump at the White House just a few weeks ago, and Canadian officials had been signaling they were making progress on sector-specific deals on steel and aluminum.

Trump doubled down on his criticisms of Ontario’s anti-tariff ads Friday morning, accusing Canada of trying to influence an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on his global tariff regime.

In a post on X, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said “Canada and the United States are friends, neighbours and allies. President Ronald Reagan knew that we are stronger together” after posting a YouTube video uploaded by the Reagan Library.

On Truth Social, Trump suggests Ford used an edited video and implied the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute is reviewing its legal options in the matter.

On Thursday, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute posted on social media that the ads misrepresent the president’s address and that Ontario did not seek or receive permission to “use and edit the remarks.”

This is a developing news story. More to come.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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