US President Donald Trump has announced an increase in tariffs on goods imported from Canada after the province of Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan.
In a post on social media on Saturday, Trump called the advert a fraud and criticized Canadian officials for failing to remove it prior to the World Series baseball championship. He stated, Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now.
On Thursday, Trump had already withdrawn from trade negotiations with Canada. Following this, Ontario premier Doug Ford announced that he would pause his province's anti-tariff advertisement campaign in the US, aiming to resume trade talks.
Ford emphasized that while his province's campaign would be put on hold, the ads would still run over the weekend during the World Series, which features the Toronto Blue Jays against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
As it stands, Canada is the only G7 country that has not reached a trade deal with the US, amidst Trump's quest for steep tariffs on goods from major trading partners. The US has already imposed a 35% levy on all Canadian imports, although many are exempt under an existing free trade agreement, along with sector-specific tariffs on metals and automobiles.
Trump’s tariff increase is a continuation of what appears to be a response to a broader strategy to leverage U.S. power in international trade. Interestingly, the advert sponsored by Ontario features Reagan cautioning that tariffs hurt every American, which the Reagan Foundation has criticized as an inaccurate representation of his views.
Trump’s rhetoric during his trip to Asia included accusations against Canada of manipulating an impending US Supreme Court case that could challenge the constitutionality of his tariffs. At this time, both Trump and Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, are set to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia, although Trump stated he does not intend to engage with Carney during the visit.
This episode of rising tariffs and critical advertisements highlights the ongoing and complex relationship between the United States and Canada, particularly in light of economic dependencies, with three-quarters of Canadian exports heading to the US. The fallout from the recent trade tensions continues to develop, leaving many observers questioning the future of cross-border exchanges.
As Trump further solidifies his position regarding the tariffs, both the political and economic ramifications could have longer-lasting effects for Canada and its relations with the United States.
