Canadian PM Mark Carney Apologizes to Trump Over Reagan Anti-Tariff Advertisement: Diplomatic Tensions Rise

The Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, issued an apology to US President Donald Trump regarding an advertisement that caused diplomatic tension between the two nations.

"I did apologise to the president. The President was offended," Carney stated during a press conference in Gyeongju. He further mentioned that trade discussions would resume when the US is "ready".

The controversial commercial utilized anti-tariff statements made by former American President Ronald Reagan to criticize trade barriers. The one-minute advertisement, launched by Ontario's premier Doug Ford, featured clips from Reagan's 1987 address where he warned that tariffs lead to trade wars and economic disaster.

Carney revealed that after reviewing the ad with Ford, he had expressed his desire not to proceed with its airing, stating, "I told Ford I did not want to go forward with the ad."

In the featured address, Reagan had cautioned, "High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries, and the triggering of fierce trade wars. Then the worst happens, markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs." The 40th president had also emphasized, "The way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition".

Trump confirmed the apology conversation to reporters aboard Air Force One, saying, "I have a very good relationship [with Carney]. I like him a lot, but what they did was wrong. He was very nice. He apologised for what they did with the commercial."

The Republican leader described the advertisement as "false" and "crooked," claiming, "It was the exact opposite - Ronald Reagan loved tariffs." Consequently, Trump announced the suspension of trade talks with Canada.

While Premier Ford agreed to remove the campaign, this decision came only after it had already aired during the World Series baseball games.

Trump expressed his displeasure on Truth Social, demanding that the advertisement be "taken down immediately" and noting, "But they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a fraud."

In response to what he termed a "serious misrepresentation of the facts" and a "hostile act," Trump imposed an additional 10 percent tariff on Canadian imports beyond existing rates.