Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday that he apologised to U.S. President Donald Trump over an advertisement criticising Washington’s tariff policy featuring former American president Ronald Reagan.
Carney was speaking to reporters in South Korea for the first time since Trump’s comments claiming Canada had “apologised for what they did”.
“I have a very good relationship [with Carney]. I like him a lot, but what they did was wrong. He was very nice. He apologised for what they did with the commercial,” the U.S. President told reporters earlier on Air Force One.
“It was a false commercial. It was the exact opposite – Ronald Reagan loved tariffs,” he told reporters.
The one-minute ad launched by Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, on 14 October spliced video clips of Reagan from his 1987 address, saying tariffs caused trade wars and economic disaster.
Carney, speaking to reporters after attending an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea, said he had made the apology privately to Trump when they both attended a dinner hosted by South Korea’s President on Wednesday.
“I did apologise to the President,” Carney said, confirming the comments by Trump made on Friday. “The President was offended.”
Carney also confirmed that he had reviewed the ad with Ford before it aired, but said he had opposed using it.
“I told Ford I did not want to go forward with the ad,” he said.
In his actual address, Reagan defends a narrow application of tariffs, but condemns their use broadly.
“High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries, and the triggering of fierce trade wars. Then the worst happens, markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs,” the 40th president said.
“The way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition,” Reagan said in the address.
Throughout his tenure, the Reagan administration’s policies supported free markets and free trade.
Trump branded the ad “crooked” and announced he was suspending trade talks with Canada.
Following backlash from the American President, Ford agreed to pause the ad campaign, but only after it aired during the World Series baseball games.
Trump appeared irked by the decision, writing on his Truth Social social media platform that the advertisement “was to be taken down, immediately.”
“But they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a fraud,” the President said.
“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10 per cent over and above what they are paying now,” he said.
Canada already faced a barrage of tariffs from the US, including 35 per cent on many of its products and 50 per cent on steel and aluminium.
On Friday, Trump confirmed he had a face-to-face meeting with Carney at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit earlier this week.
Asked if the U.S. would resume trade negotiations with Carney’s administration, Trump said: “No, but I have a very good relationship. I like him a lot.”
“I think that what they did was wrong, but he apologised,” the U.S. president said.
Meanwhile, Carney said his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday were a turning point in relations after years of tensions. The last formal meeting between the leaders of Canada and China happened in 2017 when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a brief exchange with Xi at a meeting in San Francisco.
In recent years, Canadian citizens were detained and executed in China, and Canada’s security authorities concluded that China interfered in at least two federal elections. Carney said he had discussed foreign interference with Xi, among other issues.
The trip to Asia had been part of efforts to reduce Canada’s reliance on the United States, Carney said. “It can’t happen overnight, but we’re moving very fast,” he said.
