Trump Slaps Canada With 10% Tariff Hike Over Reagan-Era Anti-Tariff Ad

Trump Raises Tariffs on Canada Amid Reagan Ad Controversy

President Donald Trump announced a 10 % increase in tariffs on Canadian imports in response to a controversial ad campaign aired by Ontario that used excerpts of former President Ronald Reagan’s 1987 speech, deepening tensions in U.S.–Canada trade relations. The White House / Wikimedia

Background of the Dispute

Trump took to his Truth Social platform to allege that the Ontario-sponsored advertisement misrepresented facts and constituted a “hostile act.” He wrote:

“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now.” The White House / Wikimedia

Reagan-Themed Anti-Tariff Ad Airs During 2025 World Series in Canada

The ad, which featured Reagan’s voiceover warning of the economic dangers of tariffs, aired during the 2025 Major League Baseball World Series in Canada. PD-US / Wikimedia

Canada’s Response and Political Fallout

The ad campaign — reportedly costing C$75 million — was initiated by Ontario Premier Doug Ford to challenge the U.S. tariff policy. After Trump threatened to sever trade talks, Ford said the ad would pause after the weekend to facilitate negotiations.

Meanwhile, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute claimed that Ontario did not seek permission to use Reagan’s speech and accuses the ad of using “selective audio and video” to misrepresent his words, according to CNN. Bruce Reeve, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tariff Escalation and Trade Implications

This latest tariff hike adds to an existing arsenal: earlier in the year, the U.S. imposed a 50 % tariff on Canadian steel and aluminium imports, to which Canada retaliated.

Trump’s post stated the action was necessary to defend the U.S. against “overbearing Canadian Tariffs (and those from the rest of the World as well!)”

It remains unclear which specific Canadian goods will be hit by the latest 10% uptick. The White House / Wikimedia

Legal and Strategic Stakes

The move comes as the Supreme Court of the United States is set to hear arguments on November 5 regarding the legality of Trump’s tariff powers.

In filings, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that if the court rules against the administration, refunding up to US$1 trillion in tariff revenue could be required. Fine Photographics / Unsplash