Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently apologized to U.S. President Donald Trump concerning a political advertisement that was critical of tariffs. Carney indicated that he conveyed this apology privately during a dinner with Trump in South Korea, where both leaders attended an Asia-Pacific summit. He confirmed Trump’s earlier remarks about the apology.
Additionally, Carney acknowledged that he reviewed the ad, which was commissioned by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, but opposed its airing. He stated, “I told Ford I did not want to go forward with the ad.” The advertisement features a clip of former President Ronald Reagan discussing the adverse effects of tariffs, a theme aligning with Ford’s political stance.
In response to the advertisement, President Trump announced an increase in tariffs on Canadian goods and indicated that the U.S. has paused trade negotiations with Canada. Trump noted that he had a “very nice” exchange with Carney during their dinner but offered no further details on the matter. He later reiterated that there will be no resumption of trade talks between the two nations.
In a related development, Carney met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his Asia trip, labeling the discussions as a potential turning point in Canada-China relations. The last formal meeting between the two countries’ leaders took place in 2017. Carney highlighted issues of foreign interference, which have included controversies involving detained Canadian citizens and alleged interference in Canadian elections.
Carney’s visit to Asia is part of a broader strategy to decrease Canada’s dependence on the United States, emphasizing that while this transition won’t occur immediately, progress is being made.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/01/canadian-pm-carney-apologises-to-trump-over-anti-tariff-reagan-ad-run-by-ontario-premier