Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced that his province's anti-tariff advertisement campaign in the US, which was criticized by President Donald Trump and led to a halt in trade talks, will be paused.
Ford, who is known for his combative approach to US trade talks, had been using the ad to highlight the impact of tariffs on Ontario industries, including the auto sector, where Ford's government has offered support in recent weeks.
The US president tweeted that Trump had "FAKE" and "egregious" adverts were being shown before claiming that trade talks between the two countries were "HEREBY TERMINATED".
However, Ford said he made the decision after speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney, who told reporters earlier on Friday that Canada is prepared to resume trade talks with the US when they are ready.
Ford's decision follows weeks of tense negotiations over tariffs and trade between the two countries. The Ontario premier has been using his "tough love" approach to push for better deals from the US.
Critics have warned, however, that Ford's aggressive stance might be counterproductive. Mahmood Nanji, a fellow at the Ivey Business School, told CBC News that while some people appreciate Ford standing up for Ontario industries hurt by tariffs, his campaign was "unnecessary distraction".
Ford has since said that he intends to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs. He also stated that his ad campaign achieved its goal of reaching US audiences at high levels.
The US has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods worth $29 billion, including 50% tariffs on metals and automobiles, which have hit Ontario hard.
Ford had vowed to fight back after Stellantis announced it would move some production out of its Brampton plant into the US.
Ford, who is known for his combative approach to US trade talks, had been using the ad to highlight the impact of tariffs on Ontario industries, including the auto sector, where Ford's government has offered support in recent weeks.
The US president tweeted that Trump had "FAKE" and "egregious" adverts were being shown before claiming that trade talks between the two countries were "HEREBY TERMINATED".
However, Ford said he made the decision after speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney, who told reporters earlier on Friday that Canada is prepared to resume trade talks with the US when they are ready.
Ford's decision follows weeks of tense negotiations over tariffs and trade between the two countries. The Ontario premier has been using his "tough love" approach to push for better deals from the US.
Critics have warned, however, that Ford's aggressive stance might be counterproductive. Mahmood Nanji, a fellow at the Ivey Business School, told CBC News that while some people appreciate Ford standing up for Ontario industries hurt by tariffs, his campaign was "unnecessary distraction".
Ford has since said that he intends to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs. He also stated that his ad campaign achieved its goal of reaching US audiences at high levels.
The US has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods worth $29 billion, including 50% tariffs on metals and automobiles, which have hit Ontario hard.
Ford had vowed to fight back after Stellantis announced it would move some production out of its Brampton plant into the US.
like, what's next? They're just gonna pause it and then what? It feels like they're just trying to show that they can turn on the ads whenever they want without actually making any real changes. And yeah, Trump's just being a drama queen as usual - "FAKE" adverts, yeah sure... 
think they can just "terminate" trade talks like that? not impressed with Trump's tantrums... 
. The ad campaign was pretty bold, if you ask me - it was already causing a stir in the States 
. But now it seems like he's just trying to smooth things over with Carney 
. Not sure what's gonna happen next, but I guess some things are more important than being "tough" 
. It's like, if you're not gonna play hardball, then don't play at all, right? But now it seems like he's taking a step back to regroup and try again.
. Some people say it was necessary to get attention and bring up the issue of tariffs, but others are saying it was just an unnecessary distraction 
. Maybe this pause will give them both some time to calm down and think about what they really want to achieve 
.
I think Ford needs to take a step back and figure out what he really wants to achieve here... 
. I can see why Carney said Canada is ready to talk when they are 
... Ford didn't want things to escalate further, I guess 
.
... That's some good diplomacy 
... but maybe it was just too much for Trump? 
. Now we'll see if this pause in talks changes anything 
...
. his approach was indeed a bit too aggressive 
and reached high levels which i guess was the goal 
. now we just gotta see if canada can resume trade talks with the US and get a better deal 
. it's all about finding that balance between being tough and working together 
. The fact that Trump was all upset about the ads and then ended up saying trade talks were "terminated" is pretty funny 
.
. But at least it looks like there's a willingness to talk things out now 
. Let's get back to the negotiating table and make deals happen 
Doug Ford's ad campaign was trying to get attention, but maybe it wasn't the best way to do it? 
The auto sector is struggling, and we need to figure out how to help them out... 
He calls Ford's ads "FAKE" and now the whole thing is over? Come on, Donald! Can't you just have a calm conversation without throwing shade? 
.