"I Apologised": PM Carney Tries to Mend Relations with Trump After Anti-Tariff Ad Sparks US Fury

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed on Saturday that he has personally apologised to US President Donald Trump over a controversial anti-tariff advertisement. The ad, which featured a 1987 quote from former President Ronald Reagan, led President Trump to suspend trade talks with Canada last week and threaten new 10% tariffs on Canadian imports.

Speaking to reporters at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea, Carney sought to de-escalate the rapidly worsening trade dispute.

"I did apologise to the president," Carney said, admitting that Trump was "offended" by the commercial.

The ad in question, which was funded by the province of Ontario, used archival clips of Ronald Reagan's national radio address arguing that "trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer."

The ad aired during the first two games of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, reportedly gaining over "one billion views" according to Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

Prime Minister Carney, however, is distancing his federal government from the ad. He stated it was "not something I would have done" and revealed that he had advised Premier Ford not to run the commercial, but that advice was ignored.

President Trump confirmed on Friday that he received the apology, stating he and Carney have a "very good" relationship, but nonetheless insisted, "what he did was wrong."

The dispute has already had diplomatic consequences, allegedly leading to an "expletive-laced tirade" between US envoy Pete Hoekstra and Ontario's trade representative.

This conflict is the latest escalation in a series of trade spats since Trump took office, imposing tariffs as high as 50% on Canadian steel and aluminum and 25% on autos. President Trump has also accused Canada of using the ad to interfere in an upcoming US Supreme Court case set to determine the legality of his sweeping tariff policies.

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