Trade tensions between the US and Canada have intensified after Ontario’s government released an ad featuring former President Ronald Reagan speaking about the dangers of tariffs.
The minute-long video, posted by Ontario Premier Doug Ford on X on October 16, uses excerpts from Reagan’s 1987 “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade.”
The ad highlights Reagan’s warning that while tariffs may seem “patriotic” for protecting American jobs, they ultimately “hurt every American worker and consumer” and “inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars” — ending in “the worst,” he said, with collapsing markets, shuttered industries, and millions of lost jobs.
Watch the full ad below:
It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched.
Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.
Watch our new ad. pic.twitter.com/SgIVC1cqMJ
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 16, 2025
Reagan made the remarks featured in the ad while defending limited tariffs on Japan, which he imposed in response to unfair trade practices in the semiconductor industry, but warned that broader protectionism could spark trade wars and damage the global economy.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said Ontario “misrepresented” Reagan’s remarks and used them without permission.
“The ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address, and the Government of Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks,” the foundation said in a statement Thursday, adding that it’s reviewing its legal options.
Trump quickly seized on the issue, accusing Canada of producing a “FAKE” advertisement and announcing on Truth Social on Friday that he was terminating all trade negotiations with the country.
“Tariffs are very important to the national security and economy of the USA,” Trump wrote. “All trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated.”
A spokesperson for Ontario Premier Doug Ford defended the ad, telling CBC News that it used an “unedited excerpt” from one of Reagan’s speeches that is “available through public domain.”
The spokesperson added that Reagan “spoke directly to Americans that tariffs hurt the US economy, workers, and families,” and was “a strong supporter of free and fair trade between Canada and America.”
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