The already strained trade relationship between the United States and Canada has taken a turn for the worse, as President Donald Trump has announced a new 10% tariff on Canadian imports. The catalyst for this decision appears to be a Canadian advertisement that reportedly used an edited version of a speech by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Trump accused Canada of engaging in a ‘fraudulent advertisement’ and a ‘hostile act’ by misrepresenting Reagan’s views on tariffs. Confirming these claims, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation stated that the advertisement manipulated parts of Reagan’s 1987 address without authorization, taking his words out of their original context. “I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” Trump declared via his Truth Social platform. While this tariff hike escalates the conflict, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has indicated that the nation remains open to resuming trade discussions. This action follows previous US tariffs on Canadian goods, including 25% duties on exports and 10% on energy products, to which Canada had responded with its own retaliatory tariffs. The advertisement at the center of the controversy featured edited excerpts of Reagan cautioning against the dangers of high tariffs and potential trade wars, aiming to criticize current US trade policies.
