(Bloomberg) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government appeared to distance itself from the Ontario premier’s interventions on trade following US President Donald Trump’s decision to increase tariffs because of an Ontario government television ad.
Hours after Trump said he would raise tariffs on Canadian goods by a further 10%, Canadian cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc posted on social media, saying talks with the US are “the responsibility of the federal government.” Carney, speaking to reporters in Malaysia, then underlined the point, saying negotiations with the White House are the “sole responsibility of the government of Canada” and that such talks are “the best way forward.”
The 60-second television spot featured excerpts from a 1987 address by then-President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. The ad, which aired on television networks in the US, including during World Series broadcasts on Fox, drew an angry reaction from Trump, who called it “FAKE” and a “serious misrepresentation of the facts.”
It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 16, 2025
Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.
Watch our new ad. pic.twitter.com/SgIVC1cqMJ
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose government commissioned the ad, said Friday he would pause the campaign on Monday in the hopes that trade talks can resume. But some provincial premiers in Canada have praised Ford and Ontario for taking a direct approach to reaching to US policymakers and the public. And they say that the strong reaction of Trump and some other Republicans is proof that ad has worked.
Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses. We've achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels. I've directed my team to keep putting our…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 24, 2025
The west coast province of British Columbia is launching a digital ad campaign about rising US forestry tariffs — pointing out that US taxes on Canadian lumber are now higher than its taxes on Russian lumber.
Ravi Parmar, BC’s minister of forests, called them “a tax on middle-class Americans” who need Canadian lumber to build and rebuild homes.
“You have a president of the United States that is having a trade temper tantrum every other day and threatening tariffs,” Parmar said on CBC News. “We have to stand up to a bully, we can’t back down.”
Canadian softwood lumber already faces levies of about 45% from the US, Parmar said, noting that Carney hasn’t mentioned progress on forestry in his most recent comments about a deal, so British Columbia needs to bring the issue to the forefront.
Some other provincial politicians, on the other hand, praised Ontario for withdrawing its ad campaign. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that consistent diplomacy is needed to reach a positive resolution with the US.
“I am pleased to see Ontario’s ad campaign is being suspended and I once again urge the federal government to continue negotiating to resolve these tariff issues and restore a free and fair trade agreement with the United States,” Smith wrote in a post on X.
I remain convinced that the path to a positive resolution with our U.S. partners lies in strong, consistent diplomacy and a commitment to working in good faith toward shared priorities such as North American energy dominance.
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) October 24, 2025
To that end, I am pleased to see Ontario’s ad… pic.twitter.com/aGZPBDkD07
In the meantime, Carney and Trump are attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia, where the prime minister will try to both expand trade relationships with Asian countries and restart talks with the US. Brian Clow, a former senior aide to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that with the Ontario ad being pulled, Carney has an opening to seek out Trump at the Asean meeting and cool tensions.
“Have a constructive moment and try to avoid this 10% threat from actually taking effect,” Clow said on CBC News. “We do need to get the talks back on track because steel, aluminum, lumber, autos, they’re all suffering badly — and unfortunately waiting it out means those industries are going to suffer and we’re going to see more job losses.”
