Washington: US President Donald Trump announced the end of all trade negotiations with Canada, citing a Canadian public relations campaign against his tariff policies as the catalyst for this decision.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to express his disapproval of Canada's actions. He accused Canada of deceit, stating that they ran a fraudulent advertisement claiming that former President Ronald Reagan was against tariffs, while Trump asserted that Reagan actually supported them for national security reasons. The advertisement in question reportedly featured Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs, a move Trump alleged was intended to influence the US Supreme Court's upcoming decision on his increased tariff rates on Canadian imports.
Trump further accused Canada of attempting to sway the US Supreme Court's decision, which is set to determine the legality of his tariff hikes in November. He claimed that Canada has a history of tariff manipulation, charging exorbitant rates to US farmers, and emphasized the importance of tariffs to American national security and economic stability.
In his statement, Trump cited the Ronald Reagan Foundation, which he said had exposed the fraudulent nature of the advertisement. He claimed that the Canadians spent USD 75,000,000 on the ad to interfere with the US judicial decision-making process. Trump's administration has implemented a 35 percent tariff on numerous Canadian imports, a move that Ottawa has been trying to reverse by persuading the US president to reduce the fees.
Concluding his announcement, Trump declared, "Based on their egregious behavior, all trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated." The decision underscores the escalating tensions between the two nations regarding trade policies and the high stakes involved in the Supreme Court's upcoming ruling.