In a significant concession aimed at salvaging fractured trade relations, the government of Ontario has announced it will suspend the controversial anti-tariff advertising campaign in the United States that enraged President Donald Trump and led to the abrupt termination of all trade negotiations with Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed late Friday that the multi-million-dollar ad buy—which featured the voice of former Republican President Ronald Reagan denouncing protectionism—would be “paused” starting Monday to allow diplomatic channels to reopen.
The Trade War of Words
The move is a direct response to President Trump’s fiery declaration late Thursday that he was “terminating” all trade talks with Ottawa. On his Truth Social platform, Trump attacked the campaign as “FAKE” and “fraudulent,” and claimed it was an attempt to “illegally influence” an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the legality of his sweeping global tariffs.
The one-minute spot, which the Ontario government reportedly paid up to $75 million to air widely across U.S. networks, particularly targeting Republican audiences, spliced together quotes from a 1987 Reagan radio address. In the excerpts, Reagan warned that “high tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation… and the triggering of fierce trade wars,” causing “markets shrink and collapse.”
The Reagan Presidential Foundation quickly complicated the narrative, issuing a statement that the ad “misrepresents” the late president’s remarks by using selective audio and confirming that no permission was sought to use or edit the address.
Mission Accomplished, Or Capitulation?
Premier Ford framed the decision as a successful completion of the campaign’s objective, rather than a forced retreat. “Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses,” Ford wrote in a social media post. “We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels.”
Despite the decision to pause, Ford ordered the ads to run through the weekend, ensuring they would air during the first two games of the Major League Baseball World Series—a final, high-profile blast of the message to American viewers.
The aggressive, and ultimately costly, gambit by the leader of Canada’s most populous province marks a dramatic episode in the escalating trade war between the two staunch allies. While Canadian federal officials, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, have maintained a calmer public posture, the Ontario ad was the most direct, high-stakes attempt by a Canadian politician to appeal over the President’s head to the American public.
Prime Minister Carney, who spoke with Ford before the decision was announced, stated Friday that Canada remains “ready to pick up” on negotiations “when the Americans are ready.”
Meanwhile, White House officials have dismissed the ad as the latest example of Canadian officials “playing games” rather than engaging constructively on trade. For now, the suspension of the controversial campaign is the first concrete step toward de-escalation, but it leaves the future of U.S.-Canada trade talks in a state of precarious limbo.