The president accused Ontario of trying to influence the Supreme Court with an ad that used Ronald Reagan and ordered to stop bilateral dialogue.
He President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced a 10% increase in tariffs on imports from Canada, a decision that once again strains the relationship between both countries and puts on hold the trade negotiations that have been trying to be recomposed since September.
The president communicated the measure through Truth Social, where he denounced that a television advertisement promoted by the Government of Ontario misrepresented statements by former Republican President Ronald Reagan against tariffs, with the alleged intention of influencing the United States Supreme Court. That court plans to review in November the legality of the current Administration’s tariff policy, considered key by Trump for his economic program.
“The ad had to be withdrawn IMMEDIATELY, but they let it pass last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD,” the president wrote on his social network, referring to the advertising that aired during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Trump maintains that Reagan “loved tariffs for national security and economic reasons” and accuses Canada of try to influence the highest court. The commercial, which was also going to air this Saturday, was under review and it is not confirmed if it will finally air.
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Donald Trump’s anger over an advertising campaign
The escalation was precipitated on Thursday, when Trump ordered the suspension of bilateral dialogue, considering the advertising campaign “unacceptable.” The head of the Government of Ontario, Doug Ford, announced that the province will end the advisory as of Monday, after speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The commercial link was already resentful. In March, Washington applied a 25% tariff on Canadian products citing fentanyl trafficking. Months later, it raised it to 35% for goods outside the T-MEC. Canada responded with equivalent increases, but lifted them in September with the idea of resuming a channel of dialogue that is now broken again.
The uncertainty moves to the judicial field. The Supreme Court will evaluate whether the US government can use emergency economic powers to sustain the biggest tariff jump in recent decades. On the North American commercial board, tension is once again the protagonist.
Source: Ambito
