Canadian Prime Minister says US president was ‘offended’ by Ontario-funded commercial as Trump halts trade talks and threatens new tariffs…..
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has apologised to US President Donald Trump over a controversial anti-tariff television advert that used a quote from former US President Ronald Reagan.
Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea on Saturday, Carney confirmed that he had personally reached out to the US president after the ad sparked diplomatic tensions and led to the suspension of trade talks between both countries.
“I did apologise to the president,” Carney told reporters. “The advertisement was not something I would have done.”
The commercial, funded by the province of Ontario, featured clips from Reagan’s 1987 national radio address, in which the late president warned that trade barriers hurt American workers and consumers. The ad aired during the first two games of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, reportedly reaching an audience of over one billion viewers worldwide.
According to Carney, President Trump was “offended” by the ad, which he said undermined ongoing trade discussions. Trump responded by suspending trade negotiations with Canada and announcing plans to impose an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports.
On Friday, Trump confirmed Carney’s apology, saying the two leaders had a “very good” relationship, but insisted “what he did was wrong.”
Carney added that Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose government paid for the ad, had shown him the commercial beforehand and that he had advised Ford against airing it.
The controversy also spilled over into a diplomatic spat after reports emerged of an “expletive-laced” exchange between US envoy Pete Hoekstra and Ontario trade representative David Paterson. Ford later accused Hoekstra of making “absolutely unacceptable” remarks and said he expected an apology.
The dispute comes amid heightened trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa. Since taking office, Trump has imposed tariffs on several countries, including Canada, which faces a 35% tariff on its exports though many goods remain exempt under a free trade deal. Certain industries, however, are subject to higher tariffs, such as 50% on steel and aluminium and 25% on automobiles.
This week, Trump also accused Canada of attempting to influence a pending US Supreme Court case that will decide the legality of his sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, and other trading partners.
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