US President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States and Canada will not restart trade talks but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney apologized to him for an anti-tariff commercial leading to disruption in trade talks between the two countries.
“I like him a lot but what they did was wrong,” Trump said. “He apologized for what they did with the commercial because it was a false commercial.”
Carney’s reaction couldn’t be known immediately.
Trade negotiations between the two countries was called off by Trump last week over the advertisement aired by the Canadian province of Ontario political ad using former President Ronald Reagan saying tariffs spell disaster. The advertisement featured Reagan, Republican icon and known for his support of free markets and free trade, saying tariffs “hurt every American” in a 1987 radio address opposing protectionism.
Trump, while abruptly terminating all trade negotiations with Canada, also increased tariffs on Canada by an additional 10%.
Trump, in a post on his social media platform, accused Canada of “fraudulently” using Reagan’s words to influence a pending US Supreme Court case on tariffs, saying the ad distorted Reagan’s stance on trade and was part of a wider attempt by Canada to interfere in America’s internal affairs.
“CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!!” Trump posted on social media. “They fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY. Canada is trying to illegally influence the United States Supreme Court in one of the most important rulings in the history of our Country.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford later announced to withdraw the ad following discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney in order to calm an escalating diplomatic dispute.
– Ends
With inputs from agencies
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