Washington: United States President Donald Trump announced that all trade negotiations with Canada have been terminated, accusing the Canadian government of using a fraudulent advertisement featuring the late President Ronald Reagan.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that the Ronald Reagan Foundation had confirmed Canada’s use of a fabricated advertisement that misrepresented Reagan’s views on tariffs.
“The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs,” Trump wrote. “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Earlier in the day, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute stated that a television advertisement produced by Ontario’s provincial government misrepresents Reagan’s Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade delivered on April 25, 1987.
The foundation said Ontario had not received authorization to use and edit the remarks and added that it was reviewing legal options regarding the issue. It also invited the public to view the unedited version of Reagan’s original address.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford acknowledged earlier in the week that the advertisement had drawn Trump’s attention. The ad features Reagan criticizing tariffs on foreign goods and warning that protectionist policies can lead to trade wars and job losses.
It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched.
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.
Watch our new ad. pic.twitter.com/SgIVC1cqMJ
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 16, 2025
“I heard that the president heard our ad. I’m sure he wasn’t too happy,” Ford said on Tuesday. He added that, “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.”
Trump’s announcement came shortly after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government aimed to expand exports to markets outside the United States, citing risks from Washington’s tariff measures. Carney added that Canada would not allow unfair US access to its markets if current negotiations failed.
The two countries have been holding talks in recent weeks over tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automobiles, which prompted retaliatory measures from Ottawa.
More than 75 percent of Canada’s exports are destined for the United States, with cross-border trade valued at about 3.6 billion Canadian dollars ($2.7 billion) daily.
