The US president previously said the gesture was “very nice” but refused to restart trade talks with Ottawa
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has confirmed that he personally apologized to US President Donald Trump for a regional government-commissioned commercial that used footage of Ronald Reagan to criticize trade tariffs.
The ad, commissioned by the government of Ontario, deeply “offended” Trump, Carney told journalists at a press conference in Gyeongju, South Korea on Saturday. He added he would not have approved its release had he been consulted.
The commercial aired earlier this month and spliced clips of Reagan’s 1987 speech on trade policy and his use of tariffs against Japan to suggest that the late Republican icon opposed protectionism. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute accused Ontario of using the material without authorization and distorting Reagan’s record.
Trump reacted angrily, accusing the Canadians of “egregious behavior” and announcing the suspension of ongoing trade talks with Ottawa. He also imposed additional tariffs on Canadian imports in response.
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The US president revealed on Friday that Carney had reached out to apologize and was “very nice,” though the talks remained suspended. “Ronald Reagan loved tariffs – and they tried to make it look the other way,” he said.
Carney’s remarks came after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which both leaders attended this week in South Korea.
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