Canadian PM Mark Carney says he apologised to Trump over anti-tariff ad

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday said he apologised to US President Donald Trump over an anti-tariff advertisement that featured remarks by former American president Ronald Reagan to criticise trade barriers. "I did apologise to the president. The President was offended," Carney told journalists in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, adding trade talks would restart when the US is "ready".

His statement followed Trump’s earlier comments confirming the apology.

“I have a very good relationship [with Carney]. I like him a lot, but what they did was wrong. He was very nice. He apologized for what they did with the commercial,” Trump said on Friday in a scrum with reporters on Air Force One.


“It was a false commercial. It was the exact opposite — Ronald Reagan loved tariffs.”

On October 14, the Ontario government launched the one-minute ad featuring clips from Reagan’s April 1987 radio address about free trade.

In the full speech, Reagan defends a narrow application of tariffs while condemning their use more broadly. The former president remained an ardent free-trader throughout his time in office.

Days after the ad first aired, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute criticised the Ontario government on social media, and Trump abruptly terminated trade negotiations with Canada, calling the ad fraudulent and “FAKE.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford agreed to pause the ad campaign, but only after it aired again during the World Series.

It isn't the first time Trump has said he received an apology for the ad.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Trump said "they've apologized," though he did not specify who issued that apology.