President Donald Trump announced a new 10% increase on tariffs against Canada on Saturday, escalating an ongoing trade dispute after condemning Ontario’s anti-tariff ad campaign as “fraudulent” and accusing the province of distorting former President Ronald Reagan’s legacy.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, writing that Canada had been “caught, red handed” using “selective audio and video” of Reagan’s 1987 radio address in an advertisement opposing tariffs.

He claimed the campaign was intended to influence an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case involving his authority to impose such trade measures.

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“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” Trump wrote.

The President stated, “Ronald Reagan LOVED Tariffs for purposes of National Security and the Economy, but Canada said he didn’t!”

He added that the advertisement “was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD.”

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The dispute followed Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s decision to temporarily suspend the province’s $75 million anti-tariff campaign on Monday after discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The ads, launched earlier this month, featured Reagan’s 1987 remarks that tariffs “hurt” Americans—comments the Ontario government said were meant to show the negative impact of protectionist trade policies.

The one-minute spot aired on several major U.S. networks, including Fox, NBC, and CNBC, and had been scheduled for national broadcast during the World Series.

The campaign drew swift condemnation from President Trump, who abruptly ended trade talks with Canada on Thursday in response.

The Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said Ontario “did not seek nor receive permission” to use Reagan’s speech and stated it was “reviewing its legal options.”

The foundation also accused the province of misrepresenting Reagan’s comments, supporting Trump’s claims that the advertisement was misleading.

Ford defended the campaign as an effort to “initiate a conversation” about tariffs’ economic consequences, saying it had reached “U.S. audiences at the highest levels.”

In a post on X, Ford said Ontario would continue running the advertisement through the first two World Series games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers before pausing it as planned.

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. We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels. I’ve directed my team to keep putting our…

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 24, 2025

Speaking to reporters before departing for his Asia trip, President Trump dismissed Ford’s defense, accusing Canada of attempting to “illegally influence the United States Supreme Court.”

He called the ad “really dishonest” and “crooked.”

Carney, who succeeded Justin Trudeau as prime minister earlier this year, has been working to reestablish trade negotiations following the Trump administration’s previous imposition of broad 35% tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automobile imports.

The new tariff hike announced Saturday increases those penalties further, raising concerns about renewed trade tensions between the two nations.

Trump has argued that the tariffs are necessary to protect American industries and national security, while Canadian officials have described them as harmful to both economies.

As of Sunday, Canadian trade officials had not announced whether they plan to retaliate against the new U.S. tariff increase.

Economic analysts in both countries have warned that the latest escalation could affect cross-border supply chains, which remain vital to manufacturing and energy production in North America.

The dispute over Ontario’s advertisement and the Reagan speech has added new friction to an already tense trade relationship.

The White House said Trump’s economic team will continue reviewing further measures if Canada fails to remove the ad permanently and issue an official apology.

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