Donald Trump slaps an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports

US President Donald Trump on Saturday slapped an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian imports amid escalating trade tensions with Ottawa.

Trump clarified that the new tariff will be charged above and beyond what is already in place for imports from Canada. The decision comes just a couple of days after Trump ended all trade talks with Ottawa after accusing the northern neighbours of misquoting former US president Ronald Reagan in an advertising campaign against tariffs.

“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” Trump said about the Reagan advertisement on his Truth Social platform.

In his post, the Republican leader said that Ottawa was “caught red-handed” putting up “a fraudulent advertisement” on Ronald Reagan’s Speech on tariffs.

“The Reagan Foundation said that they created an ad campaign using selective audio and video of President Ronald Reagan. The ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address and ‘did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is reviewing its legal options in this matter.’ The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their ‘rescue’ on Tariffs that they have used for years to hurt the United States,” the post said.

The Ronald Reagan advert

In Ontario, an anti-tariff ad was issued using an address made by former US president and Republican Ronald Reagan.

The one-minute ad excerpts a 1987 radio address by Reagan to justify imposing 100 per cent tariffs on Japanese electronics over a trade dispute over semiconductors.

In the advert, Reagan’s address also warned of the long-term perils of tariffs on foreign imports to the US. The advertisement was aired on Newsmax and Bloomberg.

“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,” Reagan narrates in the advertisement.