Ontario Premier Says It Will Pause Ronald Reagan Ad Campaign Criticising US Tariffs Next Week | World News

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said an ad campaign criticizing US tariffs will be paused on Monday so trade talks between the two countries can continue.

The ads were released by the government of Canada’s Ontario province last week and were airing in the United States.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump responded by saying he would end trade talks with Canada.

“Our intention was always to start a conversation about the type of economy Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses,” Ford said in a statement on Friday at X. he said.

“We achieved our goal by reaching the highest level of U.S. audiences. I’ve directed my team to continue putting our message in front of Americans throughout the weekend so we can air our ad during the first two World Series games.”

Ford said it decided to end the ads after a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The ads featured audio of a speech by former US President Ronald Reagan in which he harshly criticized the tariffs as “harming every American worker and consumer” and “triggering violent trade wars.”

The Ronald Reagan Foundation later claimed that it “misrepresented” the speech and that the Ontario government did not seek permission to use the clip.

Carney told reporters earlier Friday that Canada was ready to resume trade talks with the United States “when the Americans are ready.”

Trump criticized the ad in a post on Truth Social late Thursday night, calling it “FAKE” and “terrible.”

He said trade talks “ARE ENDED HERE.”

Canada is the only G7 nation that still hasn’t reached a trade deal since Trump imposed sweeping tariffs.

The United States imposed a 35 percent duty on all Canadian goods; but most are exempt under an existing free trade agreement.

It also imposed sector-specific taxes on Canadian goods, including a 50 percent tax on metals and a 25 percent tax on automobiles.

These industry tariffs were particularly damaging to Ontario, where the bulk of Canada’s auto manufacturing industry is located.

It’s unclear whether trade talks will actually continue, as Ford has pulled the ad and President Trump has yet to respond to the announcement that talks will be halted.

The White House on Friday signaled its frustration with what it called “Canada’s long-standing, unfair trade barriers” and added that efforts to resolve these problems “have not led to any constructive progress.”

Carney made some concessions to keep talks going, including eliminating retaliatory tariffs and lowering Canada’s digital services tax. But he repeatedly said he was looking for “the best offer for Canada.”

Both Trump and Carney are heading to Asia for the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

The Canadian Prime Minister told reporters that the focus of his trip will be “developing new partnerships and opportunities, including with Asia’s economic giants.”