Trump Halts All Trade Negotiations with Canada Over Ad

US President Donald Trump has announced the suspension of all trade negotiations with Canada. The reason was a commercial released by the Canadian side, which Trump described as "fraud."

The controversial ad, commissioned by the government of the Canadian province of Ontario, used a clip from a speech by former US President, Republican Ronald Reagan. In that speech, Reagan criticizes tariffs, stating that they lead to job losses and trade wars.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed earlier this week that the anti-tariff message of the ad had caught Trump's attention. "I have heard that the president has seen our ad. I'm sure he wasn't very happy with it," Ford said.

The "Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation" also commented on the situation, stating that the Ontario government used "selectively edited audio and video" that distort the content of Reagan's 1987 radio address. The foundation noted that they were not asked for permission and are now considering the possibility of taking legal action.

In response to all this, Trump made a sharp post on his Truth Social platform: "Based on their outrageous behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY SUSPENDED."

As a reminder, earlier this year, Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automobiles, to which Ottawa responded in kind. The parties had been negotiating for weeks on a possible deal in the steel and aluminum sectors.

The Canadian government has not yet commented on Trump's statement. However, Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously stated that Canada would not allow the US unfair access to its markets if trade negotiations with Washington fail.

Next year, the US, Canada, and Mexico are scheduled to review the continental free trade agreement signed in 2020.