Politicians in Canada are in damage control mode after a negative advertising campaign backfired and led U.S. President Donald Trump to end all trade negotiations between the countries.
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The offensive advertisement aired in Republican-controlled U.S. states and featured former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. The advertisement was produced by the Government of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, at a cost of $75 million.
Trump took offense to the ad and wrote on social media that “ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” using all caps to emphasize his point. The cancellation of trade talks comes as the free trade agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico was to be renegotiated among the three countries in coming months.
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford took to social media on Oct. 24 and posted a YouTube link to a 1987 address by Ronald Reagan where he speaks out against tariffs and discusses the importance of free trade. For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney continues to say that Canada is hoping to secure deals with the U.S. on specific economic sectors, notably steel and aluminum.
This is the second time in less than six months that President Trump has terminated trade negotiations with Canada. In June, Trump canceled trade talks over a digital services tax that Canada planned to apply on American technology companies such as Meta Platforms (META). Canada’s government canceled the tax, and trade talks with officials in Washington, D.C. resumed a few days later.
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