An Ontario government video using 1987 Reagan speech draws backlash from Washington.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump canceled trade negotiations with Canada following the release of a “fake” Canadian ad allegedly designed to influence a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

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“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Earlier last week, the government of Ontario released a 1987 video featuring excerpts from a national radio address titled “Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade” delivered by then-President Ronald Reagan.

“While the minute-long advert only includes excerpts from the original five-minute address, it does not alter Reagan’s words,” the BBC commented, noting that Reagan was explaining the imposition of tariffs on certain Japanese goods as an exceptional case, since he opposed any form of trade barriers.

“When someone says, ‘Let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports,’ it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes, for a short while, it works — but only for a short time,” Reagan said at the video.

“Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American, worker and consumer. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars… Markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs,” he added.

Although the order of several phrases from the original speech was rearranged in the Ontario video, Reagan did express his intention to lift tariffs as soon as possible “to promote the prosperity and economic development that only free trade can bring.”

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation accused the advertisement’s creators of using Reagan’s words without permission and in a selective manner. According to Trump, the Ontario video aimed to influence current U.S. judicial decisions related to the global tariffs imposed by his administration.

Earlier on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country would not allow unfair U.S. access to Canadian markets if trade talks fail. 

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – BBC

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