Trump Imposes Additional 10% Tariffs On Canada Over ‘Fraudulent’ Reagan Ad Dispute

US President Donald Trump has announced an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports, blaming Canada for running a ‘fraudulent advertisement’ using archival footage of former President Ronald Reagan criticising tariffs.

The move marks a fresh escalation in the ongoing trade rift between the neighbouring countries.

In a Truth Social post late on Saturday, Trump wrote, “Their advertisement was to be taken down immediately, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a fraud. 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.”

The President further accused Canada of attempting to interfere with the US Supreme Court’s ongoing review of his tariff measures, calling the ad campaign an attempt to sway judicial decisions.

“The sole purpose of this fraud was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their rescue on tariffs that they have used for years to hurt the United States,” Trump stated.

Canada’s Response and Diplomatic Efforts

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Thursday that the provincial government would pause the anti-tariff advertisement from Monday in an attempt to allow trade talks to resume.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, responding to the development on Friday, said that Ottawa remained ready to engage in constructive discussions with Washington, even after the US administration abruptly terminated ongoing negotiations.

“For months, we have stressed the importance of distinguishing things we can control and things we can’t control,” Carney said before departing for Malaysia to attend the ASEAN Summit.

“We can’t control the trade policy of the United States. We recognise that policy has fundamentally changed from that of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.”

Carney added that Canadian negotiators had been making significant progress with their US counterparts, particularly in key sectors such as steel, aluminium, and energy.

“Our officials have been working with their American colleagues on detailed, constructive negotiations. We stand ready to pick up on that progress when the Americans are ready to have those discussions,” he said.

Shortly after the controversial advertisement by Ontario’s provincial government aired, Trump declared the termination of all trade negotiations with Canada.

The video used clips of Ronald Reagan criticising tariff policies—footage Trump denounced as ‘fake’.

“Tariffs are very important to the national security and economy of the USA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, asserting that Canada’s conduct was “egregious” and “unacceptable.”

White House Defends Move

White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett defended the President’s decision on Friday, describing it as an expression of Trump’s ‘frustration’ with Canada’s negotiating stance.

“I think the President is very frustrated with Canada, and he has a right to be,” Hassett told Fox News, adding that Canadian negotiators had been difficult to engage with and that tensions had been building ‘over time’.

The latest dispute has injected new uncertainty into one of the world’s largest bilateral trading relationships.

Trump has already imposed a 35% tariff on select Canadian exports and has previously suggested that Canada should be the 51st US state, a remark that has drawn sharp criticism from Canadian officials and commentators alike.

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