THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president said he was motivated by an ad, paid for by the province of Ontario, that featured Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs in a 1987 radio address.
President Trump said late Thursday that he was terminating negotiations with Canada over the high tariffs that he imposed on its steel, auto parts and other major exports, adding new uncertainty to the relationship with America’s second-biggest trading partner.
On Truth Social, the president said he was ending all trade negotiations with Canada because of a video ad, paid for by the province of Ontario, that featured former President Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.
“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A.,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Mr. Trump claimed that the ad was fake and said that it had been placed “to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court,” which is currently considering a legal challenge to many of Mr. Trump’s tariffs. » | Ana Swanson and Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Reporting from Washington and Toronto | Thursday, October 23, 2025
Generally speaking, tariffs are passé. They are the economic tool of old-fashioned thinkers and of people who do not understand economics. They are not an economic tool useful in generating or furthering prosperity. Further, having a tantrum is not going to make Trump’s tariffs bring about prosperity, neither for Americans nor for the rest of the world. — © Mark Alexander
