Carney Says He Apologized to Trump, Told Ford Not to Run Anti-Tariff Reagan Ad

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he told Ontario Premier Doug Ford not to run the anti-tarfiff advertisement in the United States, which caused U.S. President Donald Trump to stop trade negotiations with Canada and say he’ll hike tariffs.

Ontario’s $75 million advertising campaign featured clips of the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan speaking about tariffs and the value of free trade.

Carney told reporters on Nov. 1 during a news conference at the close of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea that he had told Ford not to run the ad.

Ford said he wanted Americans to learn the harm tariffs are causing, and that Carney viewed the ads before they were released by Ontario.

When asked what the Ontario premier’s response was, Carney responded, “Well, you saw what came of it.”

Carney also confirmed that he apologized to Trump about the ad campaign while at the summit. Trump had said on Oct. 31 that Carney had apologized to him when the two talked during a dinner event in South Korea hosted by that country’s president with other world leaders on Oct. 29.  Trump also said that while he has a good relationship with Carney, trade negotiations won’t be resuming.

“The president was offended by the ad and it’s not something I would have done, which is to put in place that advertisement,” Carney said.

“The federal government is responsible for the foreign relationship with the U.S. government.”

In the ad, Reagan said there was “a growing realization” throughout the world that “the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition.”

The clips were from a 1987 radio address where Reagan announced tariffs on Japan saying it was due to “Japan’s inability to enforce their trade agreement” with the United States on semiconductors, though that part was not included in the ad.

Trump posted about the Ontario ad on social media Oct. 23, saying negotiations with Canada were “terminated,” adding the ad misrepresented Reagan’s stance on tariffs. He also said that the ad was meant to interfere with an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearing on his administration’s use of tariffs.

Ford said on Oct. 24 that he would be pausing the ad campaign on Oct. 27 following talks with Carney. He said the ads would run during the World Series games on Oct. 25 and 26.

Trump announced on Oct. 26 that he would be increasing tariffs on Canada by 10 percent for not immediately pulling the ads. He has also said he will not be meeting with Carney “for a while.”

Carney reiterated during the Nov. 1 news conference that Canada was “in a position where 85 percent of our trade is tariff-free” through the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement, and that the negotiations with the United States had been for the remaining sectors being tariffed.

“We were making progress. Those talks are suspended. That’s the situation at present.”

The prime minister said that when negotiations resume with the United States, his government would negotiate for “what’s in the best interest of Canada” and that the United States would be negotiating for what is in its best interest.

“There are a number of things where those interests align, and we’ll wait until they’re ready.”

BC Plans Anti-Tariff Ads

B.C. Premier David Eby has said he will also be running ads opposing U.S. tariffs on Canada, saying Americans need to hear how tariffs raise prices.

He said his government was making ads to defend B.C. and forestry workers.

“Our wood faces higher US tariffs than Russia. Absurd. Truth will win,” he wrote in an Oct. 24 post on X.

Eby said it would be a “digital campaign” unveiled in November.

Matthew Horwood and Olivia Gomm contributed to this report.