United States President Donald Trump has flatly rejected trade talks with Canada weeks after Ontario circulated an advertisement featuring former US President Ronald Reagan, criticising tariffs. But, Donald Trump asserted that he “really likes” Canadian PM Mark Carney, but what Ontario did “was wrong.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Donald Trump said, “I really like him a lot. But what they did was wrong.” So “no,” discussions will not resume, Trump said, even though Carney “apologised for what they did with the commercial because it was a false commercial.”
The US has maintained its decision to halt trade talks with Canada, despite Ontario taking down the advertisement that had sparked tensions. The ad, however, was kept on air through the weekend, further angering Donald Trump.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the advertisement was released so that it could reach the US audience and “we’ve achieved our goal.”
“Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses,” Doug Ford said.
More tariffs on Canada
Ending trade talks with Canada citing the “misleading and fraud” advertisement, the Trump administration also imposed an additional 10 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports.
Accusing the Canadian authorities of using the parts of Ronald Reagan’s speech without permission, he said, “Canada was caught, red handed, putting up a fraudulent advertisement on Ronald Reagan’s Speech on Tariffs. The Reagan Foundation said that they, ‘created an ad campaign using selective audio and video of President Ronald Reagan. The ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address,’ and ‘did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is reviewing its legal options in this matter’.”
“The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their “rescue” on Tariffs that they have used for years to hurt the United States. Now the United States is able to defend itself against high and overbearing Canadian Tariffs (and those from the rest of the World as well!). Ronald Reagan LOVED Tariffs for purposes of National Security and the Economy, but Canada said he didn’t!”
“Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, at a summit in Malaysia, Mark Carney mentioned that Canada was ready to resume trade negotiations with Washington.
