Today's News: Trump Announces Additional 10% Tariff on Canada Over Ads Using Reagan's Anti-Tariff Quotes

This punitive measure follows Ontario’s airing of a television advertisement that used audio of former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. Trump deemed the ad “fraudulent,” a “hostile act.”

Terrence Dorsey

Oct 25, 2025

Photo: Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post

Date: October 25, 2025
Summary: President Donald Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports, further escalating trade tensions with Canada. This punitive measure follows Ontario’s airing of a television advertisement that used audio of former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. Trump deemed the ad “fraudulent,” a “hostile act,” and an attempt to influence a US Supreme Court case on tariffs. The tariff increase came after Trump had already terminated trade talks with Canada and was angered that the ad continued to run during the World Series despite Ontario’s premier agreeing to pull it. Canada’s economy is suffering from existing tariffs, and its Prime Minister, Mark Carney, expressed readiness to resume negotiations while acknowledging Canada’s limited control over US trade policy.

Sources

Key Points

Tariff Increase: President Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports, “over and above what they are paying now.”
Catalyst - Reagan Ad: The primary reason for the tariff increase was an anti-tariff television advertisement aired by the Canadian province of Ontario, which used audio from a 1987 speech by former President Ronald Reagan.
Trump’s Accusations: Trump labeled the ad “fraudulent,” a “serious misrepresentation of the facts,” and a “hostile act.” He claimed its sole purpose was to influence the US Supreme Court, which is set to hear arguments next month on the legality of his tariffs.
Termination of Trade Talks: The tariff hike followed Trump’s earlier decision to terminate trade talks with Canada due to the ad.
Ad’s Continued Airing: Despite Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s agreement to pull the ad by Monday, it continued to run during the first World Series game, further angering Trump.
Economic Impact on Canada: Canada’s economy has been significantly impacted by existing US tariffs, and the country’s prime minister is seeking to lower them.
Canadian Response: Ontario’s Premier agreed to pull the ad, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized Canada’s readiness for “detailed, constructive” talks and the importance of distinguishing controllable factors from uncontrollable US trade policy.
Reagan Foundation’s Stance: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute took issue with the ad, stating it made “selective” use of Reagan’s words and misrepresented them, and that permission was not sought or received.

Unique Highlights

The New York Times details existing specific tariffs on Canadian goods: 50% on steel and aluminum, 10% on softwood lumber (plus preexisting levies), and 25% on some auto parts. It also notes Canada capped tariff-free imports of Stellantis and General Motors vehicles after job cuts in Canada and quotes Flavio Volpe of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association stating the tariff threat charges American taxpayers.
CNN provides specific economic data, reporting the US imported $411.9 billion worth of goods from Canada last year, Canada’s unemployment rate is at a nine-year high, and Canadian boycotts have led to a 31% drop in land travel to the US and an 85% plunge in US spirits exports to Canada. It also mentions Trump’s 100% tariff on China for rare-earth minerals and his expected meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea.
NBC News states that over three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the U.S., with nearly $3.6 billion Canadian ($2.7 billion U.S.) worth of goods and services crossing the border daily. It also explicitly reports that Trump told reporters he had no intention of meeting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia.
The Washington Post includes direct quotes from the Reagan ad, such as, “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars… Markets shrink and collapse. Businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs.” It also notes Carney’s intention for Canada to focus on diversifying its trading relationships.
The Wall Street Journal clarifies that the Reagan Foundation claimed the audio was used without its permission. It also explains that while Reagan’s 1987 speech acknowledged specific tariffs on Japanese semiconductors, the “vast majority” of the address was devoted to explaining why tariffs lead to bad outcomes. It also specifies that US tariffs on Canada currently stand at 35%, with energy products at 10%, but goods compliant with the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are tariff-free, accounting for about 85% of Canadian exports.
Fox Business quotes Senator Bill Hagerty, a Republican from Tennessee, arguing that Canada’s trade with the US has “always been lopsided” and discussing Trump’s “complicated relationship” with China. It also states that the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is “exploring legal options” in response to the ad.
CBC News features an interview with Derek Burney, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who emphasized Mulroney and Reagan’s commitment to free trade. It also specifies that the US Supreme Court case involves the Trump administration’s request to overturn a Federal Court of Appeals ruling that the president’s broad-based tariffs were unconstitutional, mentioning “Liberation Day” tariffs.

Contrasting Details

Reagan’s Stance on Tariffs:
- Multiple sources (The New York Times, CNN, NBC News, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CBC News) indicate that the Ontario ad accurately reflected former President Reagan’s anti-tariff sentiments, with minor edits not altering the substance of his critical remarks on tariffs. The Wall Street Journal specifically notes that the “vast majority” of Reagan’s 1987 address was devoted to explaining why tariffs lead to negative outcomes.
- In contrast, President Trump (quoted in CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, CBC News) asserted that Reagan “LOVED Tariffs for purposes of National Security and the Economy” and described the ad as a “serious misrepresentation of the facts” and “fraudulent.”
Reagan Foundation’s Specific Criticism:
- The New York Times states the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said the ad made “selective” use of the address.
- CNN, Fox Business, and CBC News report that the Foundation took issue with the ad and claimed it “misrepresented” Reagan’s words. Fox Business further attributes to Trump’s social media post the Foundation’s claim that Ontario “did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.”
- The Wall Street Journal notes that the Reagan Foundation “hasn’t said what it found inaccurate about the ad” but claimed it misrepresented comments and used audio without permission.
Trump’s Intent to Meet Canadian Prime Minister Carney:
- NBC News explicitly states that Trump told reporters he had “no intention of meeting Carney” during his trip to Malaysia.
- The Wall Street Journal, however, reports that a “senior U.S. official” said Trump and Carney are “likely to see each other” at a working dinner for Asia-Pacific leaders in South Korea. This suggests a potential discrepancy between Trump’s stated intent and the expectation of US officials regarding an encounter.

The Newsie Project uses AI to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US and world online news sources.

This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).

The Newsie Project

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?