Ontario Halts Anti-Tariff Ads After Trump's Trade Talks Termination

Wed Oct 29 2025 10:50:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a pause to the province's controversial anti-tariff advertisement campaign in response to President Trump's outrage that led to a halt in US-Canada trade negotiations.

In an effort to revive trade talks with the United States, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has decided to temporarily pause an anti-tariff advertisement campaign that drew the ire of President Trump. The ads, which quote former President Ronald Reagan, had already sparked controversy and were criticized by Trump, leading him to declare the trade discussions 'hereby terminated.' The commercials will still air over the weekend before being halted to facilitate negotiations, as Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney expresses readiness to resume talks when the US is prepared.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said he will pause his province's anti-tariff advertisement campaign in the US, after it prompted President Donald Trump to terminate trade talks.

Ford - one of Canada's most vocal critics of US levies on Canadian goods - said he made the decision after speaking to Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday, adding that the TV spot will be paused on Monday 'so that trade talks can resume'.

It will still run over the weekend on US networks, he said, including during the Major League Baseball World Series games.

Carney told reporters earlier on Friday that Canada was prepared to resume trade talks with the US 'when the Americans are ready.'

Trump criticised the advert late on Thursday night in a Truth Social post, calling it 'FAKE' and 'egregious'. He said trade talks were 'HEREBY TERMINATED'.

The advert, which was sponsored by the Ontario government, quotes former US President Ronald Reagan, saying tariffs 'hurt every American'.

The video takes excerpts from a 1987 national radio address that focused on foreign trade.

Trump's termination of trade talks came after the Ronald Reagan Foundation, which is charged with preserving Reagan's legacy, released a statement saying the advert had used 'selective' audio and video of the former president's remarks, accusing the Ontario government of misrepresentation.

On Friday, Ford said the intention of the advert was 'to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build' and the impact of tariffs, emphasizing that they had successfully reached US audiences.

Trump's reaction has sparked debate in Canada about whether Ford's aggressive approach to trade was appropriate or if a more congenial relationship with the US would be beneficial. As Canada continues to navigate contentious trade negotiations amid heavy tariffs, the situation underscores the complexities of international relations in a changing political landscape.