GYEONGJU — Prime Minister Mark Carney has confirmed that he personally apologized to U.S. President Donald Trump after an Ontario government ad campaign criticizing American tariffs sparked the sudden collapse of bilateral trade talks last week.
Speaking to reporters at the close of his nine-day trip to Asia, Carney said he told Ontario Premier Doug Ford that the province should not have launched the ad, which aired in U.S. markets and featured a 1987 radio address by former president Ronald Reagan condemning tariffs. “I told Premier Ford I didn’t think the ad should run,” Carney said. When asked how Ford responded, the prime minister added wryly, “Well, you saw what came of it.”
Carney’s apology to Trump came during a private dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung at the start of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju earlier this week. “I’m the one responsible, in my role as prime minister, for Canada’s relationship with the U.S.,” Carney said. “The federal government manages that relationship, not the provinces.”
Trump initially brushed off the advertisement, saying on October 21 that if he were Canada, he “might run the same ad.” But days later, he reversed course, denouncing Canada’s “egregious behaviour” on social media and abruptly ending ongoing trade negotiations. The U.S. president claimed the ad misrepresented Reagan’s views, insisting the late leader “loved tariffs,” though several independent analyses have confirmed that Reagan in fact criticized protectionism during his presidency.
Trump has since threatened an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, though he has offered no timeline or specifics. On Air Force One Friday, he told reporters he still maintains a “very good relationship” with Carney, adding, “I like him a lot, but what they did was wrong.”
Carney downplayed the controversy, describing it as political “noise.” He stressed that despite the latest tensions, Canada continues to enjoy the strongest trade relationship with the U.S. of any country, thanks to the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which exempts most bilateral trade from tariffs.
“We can spend our time watching Truth Social and worrying about every reaction,” Carney said. “We are staying calm.”
The prime minister said Ottawa remains ready to resume talks whenever Washington is prepared, particularly on sectors still affected by tariffs — including steel, aluminum, lumber, and autos. “We’ll wait until they’re ready,” he added.
Premier Ford, for his part, has defended the ad campaign, calling it a “success” for its visibility and message, even as it sparked one of the most significant diplomatic flare-ups between Ottawa and Washington in recent years.