Premier Doug Ford said he will be pausing the U.S. ad on tariffs after U.S. President Donald Trump cut off trade talks with Canada because of the campaign.
In a statement released on Friday, Ford said after speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney, he will pause the ad starting on Monday.
“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,” said Ford in the statement.
The ad will still air during the first two World Series games featuring the Toronto Blue Jays and the L.A. Dodgers, set for Friday and Saturday.
“Like I said earlier today: Canada and the U.S. are neighbours, friends and allies. We’re so much stronger when we work together. Let’s work together to build Fortress Am-Can and make our two countries stronger, more prosperous and more secure,” Ford continued.
Trump announced Thursday night he was ending all trade talks with Canada based on an anti-tariff ad the Ontario government was running featuring former U.S. President Ronald Reagan warning about the economic threats posed by tariffs.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation says it is also reviewing its legal options, noting that the ad “misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address, and the Government of Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.”
The Ford government spent $75 million on the ads, which began airing earlier this month on various news outlets in the United States, including Newsmax, Bloomberg, FOX, NBC, CBS and CNBC. They are originally scheduled to run until the end of January 2026.
