Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday that he had apologised to U.S. President Donald Trump over an anti-tariff political advert and had instructed Ontario Premier Doug Ford not to air it.
Speaking to reporters after attending an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea, Carney said he had delivered the apology privately to Trump during a dinner hosted by South Korea’s president on Wednesday.
“I did apologise to the president,” Carney confirmed, echoing comments Trump made on Friday.
He also acknowledged that he had seen the advert with Ford before it was broadcast but said he had advised against it. “I told Ford I did not want to proceed with the ad,” he said.
The advert, commissioned by Ford, a vocal Conservative often likened to Trump features a clip of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan warning that tariffs trigger trade wars and economic ruin.
In retaliation, Trump announced an increase in tariffs on Canadian goods, while Washington also suspended trade talks with Ottawa.
Departing South Korea earlier in the week, Trump described his encounter with Carney at the dinner as "very nice" but offered no details. On Friday, he reiterated that trade negotiations with Canada would remain on hold.
Carney said his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday marked a turning point in relations after years of strained ties.
The last formal meeting between Canadian and Chinese leaders took place in 2017, when then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau briefly spoke with Xi in San Francisco.
In recent years, several Canadian citizens have been detained or executed in China, and Canadian security agencies have concluded that Beijing interfered in at least two federal elections.
Carney said he had raised the issue of foreign interference, among other topics, in his discussion with Xi.
He added that his trip to Asia was part of broader efforts to reduce Canada’s dependence on the United States. "It can’t happen overnight, but we’re moving very fast", he said.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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