Trump Halts Canada Trade Talks Following Controversial Advertisement Dispute

US President Donald Trump firmly declined to restart trade negotiations with Canada on Friday, following a week-long interruption caused by a controversial anti-tariff advertisement.

"I really like him a lot," Trump stated about Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney while speaking to journalists on Air Force One. "But what they did was wrong."

When asked if discussions would resume, Trump responded with a clear "no," despite acknowledging that Carney "apologized for what they did with the commercial because it was a false commercial."

Trump had responded strongly to a Canadian anti-protectionist advertising campaign by not only terminating bilateral trade talks abruptly but also imposing an additional 10 percent tariff increase on Canadian products.

The Republican president nevertheless emphasized that he maintained a "good relationship" with Carney and mentioned their positive interaction during the APEC summit in South Korea.

Days earlier at a summit in Malaysia, Carney had reiterated Canada's willingness to resume trade negotiations with Washington.

This breakdown in talks represents an unexpected deterioration in relations between two longstanding allies, a relationship that has been destabilized by Trump's return to office.

Canada stands as the United States' second-largest trading partner and provides significant steel and aluminum supplies to American companies.

While most cross-border commerce remains tariff-free under the North American free trade agreement, specific sectoral tariffs—particularly on steel, aluminum, and automobiles—have significantly impacted Canada, resulting in job losses and putting pressure on businesses.