President Donald Trump said he’d lob more tariffs on Canada, on Saturday. Hours later, Ontario’s ad featuring former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs aired during game two of the World Series.
The ad was expected. The campaign was released by Ontario’s Premier, Doug Ford, and it has been the latest flash point in trade tensions between the US and its neighbor to the north.
The advertisement initially drew Trump’s ire on Thursday night, and he posted to Truth Social to say that he was terminating all trade negotiations with Canada. Ontario subsequently announced on Friday that the ad would be pulled by Monday, but only after it had been aired during Friday and Saturday’s World Series games.
Trump said on Truth Social on Saturday that he was adding an additional 10% tariff on Canadian goods.
Games one and two of the World Series, between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, were played in Canada. The Blue Jays took game one on Friday, dominating with an 11-4 victory, while the Dodgers won 5-1 in game two.
Srividya Jandhyala, an associate professor at the ESSEC Business School, told Business Insider that the Canadian government has set a goal of doubling non-US exports over the next decade and is beginning to re-engage with India and China.
“There is growing emphasis on diversifying markets and trading relationships, which would buffer against risk,” said Jandhyala. “For an individual exporter, the challenge is to find new customers in markets where they have previously not had partnerships, customers, or relationships.”
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The US-Canada relationship has seen a rocky year. A Canadian boycott against US goods began after Trump slapped a 25% tariff on nearly all imports, from lumber to auto parts, from the longtime ally early in the year. Canada retaliated with equal reciprocal tariffs.
After a few pauses and starts, Trump increased the tariff on Canada to 35% in August for all goods not covered by the USMCA trade agreement, such as agricultural and wood products, and to 50% on steel and aluminum imports from Canada as of June. In September, Canada lifted its retaliatory tariffs, except for those on steel, aluminum, and auto imports.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
