Prime Minister Mark Carney reached out to Ontario Premier Doug Ford multiple times while on an official visit to Asia, urging him to withdraw an advertising campaign that has been criticized for derailing trade discussions with the United States, Ford disclosed on Monday.
Carney had expressed his reservations to Ford regarding an ad that showcased former U.S. president Ronald Reagan’s negative stance on tariffs. Ford, however, refrained from divulging specifics of their conversations but indicated a differing account from Carney’s version.
After President Donald Trump terminated trade negotiations attributing the TV commercials, Ford eventually agreed to cease airing them. Nonetheless, the ads continued for a brief period during World Series games before being halted, leading Trump to threaten an additional 10% tariff on Canadian products.
Ford confirmed that Carney persistently advised him to remove the ads while emphasizing their continued strong rapport. Carney, acknowledging Trump’s displeasure with the ad, extended an apology to the president without informing Ford beforehand.
The Prime Minister’s Office refrained from directly addressing Ford’s statements, emphasizing the government’s commitment to engaging with the U.S. administration for a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
Ford remains optimistic about the ad’s impact, citing a significant viewership of 12.4 billion and heralding it for influencing a U.S. Senate resolution against tariffs. The initial ad campaign, with an estimated cost of $75 million, was intended to run through the winter. However, its premature withdrawal is expected to result in lower taxpayer expenses, although the final financial impact remains undisclosed.
While Canada-U.S. trade discussions are currently stalled, Canada has expressed readiness to resume negotiations from where they were left off.
