On October 24th 2025, Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the announcement that Ontario will cease its anti-tariff advertising campaign featuring former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s 1987 radio address as an attack ad against U.S. tariffs. President Trump responded negatively by suspending all trade negotiations with Canada as well as accusations from him that this advertisement was false and would influence U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision about legality of his tariffs AP News
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The 60-second advertisement that ran across major U.S. networks including Fox News, NBC and ESPN used Reagan’s 1987 speech warning of tariff-induced trade wars and economic harm as the basis of its message. While Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation criticized Ford’s campaign stating it misrepresented Reagan’s remarks and used an unedited excerpt from a public domain speech to showcase concerns regarding tariffs’ impacts on American workers and businesses alike, Ford maintained it used an unedited excerpt that focused attention on these impacts in its advertisement.
Business Insider President Trump lashed out against Canada via Truth Social posts that attacked their ad as being fake news and interfering with U.S. judicial processes, emphasizing tariffs as vitally important to American national security and economy; all trade negotiations between their nations having now come to a stop.
According to The New York Post, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated his country’s willingness to reengage trade talks, noting that Canada stands ready to engage when negotiations between Canada and the U.S. resume. While recognizing challenges presented by current trade conditions, Carney stressed the country’s dedication towards finding mutually beneficial solutions.
Reuters The controversy over this ad has escalated tensions between the U.S. and Canada, with both nations accusing one another of misrepresentation and interference. Now, as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a key case on whether President Donald Trump’s tariffs are legal, this legal battle could have lasting repercussions for future trade relations between these two nations.
TIME
Ontario has decided to pause their ad campaign beginning Monday, October 27 while still airing it during World Series games between Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. Premier Doug Ford stated that this campaign had met its intended objective of initiating dialogue about tariff’s economic effects, so taking this timeout will allow reevaluating Ontario’s approach to trade advocacy advocacy.
This development marks a turning point in ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada, underlining their complex nature as international relationships and media campaigns impact diplomatic negotiations.