Ontario Premier Doug Ford stood by his decision to run an anti-tariff ad in the US that featured Ronald Reagan and angered Donald Trump by declaring “we've achieved our goal.”
Ford added that the TV spot had “one billion views” and attracted attention from as far away as the UK and India.
His comments Monday came after President Trump suspended trade talks with Canada over the ad and said he would raise tariffs on Canada by 10% “on top” of current levies.
Both Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney are in Asia this week for the ASEAN summit, but Trump told reporters he has no plans to meet with Carney and won't meet him “for a long time.”
President Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on Canada in a Truth Social post over the weekend. However, it is unclear whether the surcharge will be applied broadly or to specific sectors.
Asked for details on Monday, Trump said: “I don't know when it will start, we'll see, but I don't really want to discuss it.”
The US has imposed a 35% tariff on Canadian goods, although most are exempt under the current free trade agreement. He also imposed tariffs on select industries, including 50% on steel and aluminum and 25% on cars.
Carney told reporters Monday that the U.S. and Canada are close to a trade deal and are exchanging term sheets before negotiations conclude.
“Then advertising came along and everything changed,” Carney said.
The ad, sponsored by the Ontario government, quotes former U.S. President Reagan as saying the tariffs “hurt every American.” It is excerpted from his 1987 national radio address on foreign trade.
Trump called it a “fraud” and accused Canada of wanting to interfere in a pending U.S. Supreme Court case that will evaluate whether the president's high tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China and dozens of other countries are legal.
Carney refrained from criticizing Ford or the ad itself, but emphasized that the federal government is responsible for leading trade negotiations with the United States.
Meanwhile, Ford told reporters on Monday that the prime minister had seen the video before it was released, as had his chief of staff.
At the Ontario Legislature, Ford called the ad “the most successful in North American history” and said it sparked debate in the U.S. and around the world about Trump's tariffs.
“President Trump wants to attack our country, but I am never going to take a backseat to President Trump,” Ford said.
Some Canadian politicians have spoken out in support of Ford.
Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton in Ontario, told the CBC on Sunday that he was “glad our prime minister had the courage to call out the President of the United States for his inconsistency.”
British Columbia Premier David Eby said his province plans to launch its own anti-tariff ad next month targeting U.S. timber levies.
