President Donald Trump announced a new 10% increase in tariffs on Canadian imports on Saturday — a move he says comes in response to an Ontario government ad that used a quote from
former U.S. President Ronald Reagan to criticize his trade policies.
Trump called the ad “a fraud,” accusing Canadian officials of refusing to take it down before the World Series. The ad ran anyway, sparking fresh friction between the two close trading partners.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Friday that he would suspend the anti-tariff campaign to give trade talks with Washington another chance. However, he confirmed the ad would still air during the World Series weekend broadcasts.
“We’re pausing it so that discussions can continue,” Ford said.
But Trump wasn’t satisfied. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to Malaysia, he said, “I’m increasing the tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now.”
Tariffs are technically paid by U.S. importers — not exporters — meaning American companies will absorb the higher costs.
Currently, the U.S. imposes a 35% tariff on most Canadian goods, though many are exempt under a free trade agreement. Specific industries already face higher rates — including a 50% tariff on metals and 25% on automobiles.
A Strained Trade Relationship
Canada remains the only G7 nation yet to finalize a trade deal with the U.S. since Trump began renegotiating tariffs with key allies. About three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the U.S., and Ontario — home to the country’s largest auto sector — would feel the biggest impact of any tariff hike.
Canada’s Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc responded carefully, saying Ottawa remains committed to “constructive discussions” and wants to “achieve results that benefit workers and families in both countries.”
The Reagan Ad Controversy
The minute-long ad that angered Trump features a clip of Ronald Reagan warning that tariffs “hurt every American.” The footage comes from a 1987 radio address in which Reagan defended free trade.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation criticized Ontario’s government for using the former president’s words without permission, saying the ad was “selective” and misrepresented his speech — though it acknowledged the quotes themselves were not altered.
Ford had previously vowed to air the Reagan ad across every Republican-led district in the U.S., hoping to appeal to conservative voters frustrated by Trump’s trade approach.
Lighthearted Rivalry Amid Tensions
The tariff tension even spilled into baseball banter. With the Toronto Blue Jays facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, Ford and California Governor Gavin Newsom exchanged playful bets online.
Ford promised to send Newsom a can of Canadian maple syrup if the Dodgers won — joking that “the tariff might cost me a few extra bucks at the border these days, but it’ll be worth it.”
Newsom replied that if the Blue Jays took the championship, he’d send “California’s championship-worthy wine,” and suggested Ontario resume selling U.S. alcohol in its liquor stores.
They ended their friendly exchange by raising a glass “to a great World Series — and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”
Still, for both sides, the humor masks real economic stakes. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce urged calm, warning that “tariffs at any level remain a tax on America first, then North American competitiveness as a whole.” Photo by Benson Kua, Wikimedia commons.
