Washington, Oct 26: US President Donald Trump has announced an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian imports, accusing Canada of running a “fraudulent advertisement” misusing former US President Ronald Reagan’s remarks on tariffs.
In a Truth Social post late Saturday, Trump said the advertisement, which aired during the World Series, was “a FRAUD” and alleged that Canadian authorities knowingly allowed it to run despite US objections. “Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts and hostile act, I am increasing the tariff on Canada by 10 per cent over and above what they are paying now,” Trump wrote.
He further accused Canada of attempting to influence the US Supreme Court’s review of his tariff measures. “The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their rescue on tariffs,” he added.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded on Thursday, saying his government would suspend the controversial advertisement from Monday “so that trade talks can resume.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, said his government remains ready for “constructive discussions” with Washington despite Trump’s abrupt decision to terminate ongoing trade negotiations. “We can’t control the trade policy of the United States,” Carney remarked before departing for Malaysia to attend the ASEAN Summit. “Our negotiators had been making a lot of progress on key sectors like steel, aluminium, and energy.”
Trump had earlier declared an end to all trade talks with Canada, calling the Ontario-produced ad “fake” for featuring doctored archival footage of Reagan criticising tariffs.
White House Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the move reflected Trump’s “frustration” with Canadian negotiators, calling them “very difficult to negotiate with.”
The escalating dispute has injected fresh uncertainty into one of the world’s largest bilateral trade relationships.
