Trump says he is ending trade negotiations with Canada

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he has halted trade negotiations with Canada in response to an anti-tariff advertising campaign launched by the province of Ontario, triggering a new trade crisis with America’s northern neighbor, Financial Times reports.

Late Thursday evening, Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, complaining that the ads aired in the United States included “the voice of former Republican President Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.”

“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMY OF THE UNITED STATES. Due to their outrageous behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE OFFICIALLY TERMINATED,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s move threatens a sharp deterioration in his relationship with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who in recent months had managed to stabilize ties with the White House.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a vocal critic of Trump’s tariffs, actively supported the ad campaign, which used Reagan’s 1987 radio address criticizing tariffs as harmful to the long-term U.S. economy.

This month, Carney visited Washington to meet with Trump at the White House and attempt to ease strained bilateral relations and protect C$1.3 trillion (US$928 billion) worth of trade ties.

Trump has imposed a 35% tariff on Canadian goods excluded from the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, along with up to 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum, and anti-dumping duties and tariffs on lumber.

Ontario’s auto industry, also hit by the tariffs, faces plant closures and mass layoffs after Trump called for bringing auto manufacturing back to the United States.

The breakdown of U.S.–Canada trade talks comes ahead of Trump’s Asia tour, during which he will attempt to reduce tensions with China at a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In a national television address Wednesday night, Carney announced a plan to double Canada’s exports to markets outside the U.S. by 2035.

In a statement posted on X, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation said the Ontario advertisement “distorts” Reagan’s remarks and emphasized that the province did not seek or receive permission to use his words. The organization added that it is “reviewing legal options in the matter.”

Earlier in October, Trump hinted at tough negotiations ahead — but a favorable deal with Canada.

Tags: Canada, USA