Trump says U.S., Canada will not restart trade talks

Trump says U.S., Canada will not restart trade talks
Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday (October 31) that the United States will not restart trade negotiations with Canada, a week after he halted talks in response to an advertisement aired by the Canadian province of Ontario

Speaking to reporters, Trump said that while he maintains a good personal relationship with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the commercial in question was “false” and “misleading.” The advertisement reportedly portrayed former U.S. President Ronald Reagan as opposing tariffs — a claim Trump disputed.

“No, but I have a very good relationship. I like him a lot. But you know, what they did was wrong,” Trump said. “He was very nice. He apologized for what they did with the commercial because it was a false commercial. You know, it was the exact opposite. Ronald Reagan loved tariffs and they tried to make it look the other way. And he did apologize and I appreciate it.”

Trump added that despite Carney’s apology and their cordial personal ties, talks would not be immediately resumed. “We had a great dinner, you know, with other countries, as you know. And I think we have a very good relationship personally, I think that what they did was wrong. But he apologized,” he said.

The brief diplomatic rift has cast uncertainty over the future of trade discussions between Washington and Ottawa, as both sides continue to navigate economic and political differences over tariffs, industrial policy, and cross-border advertising regulations.

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