U.S. talks are Ottawa's 'sole responsibility', Carney says as B.C. promises anti-tariff ads of its own

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith praised Ontario's Doug Ford for pulling the Reagan ad that resulted in Donald Trump announcing an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian imports

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government appeared to distance itself from the Ontario premier’s interventions on trade following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to increase tariffs because of an Ontario government television ad.

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Hours after Trump said he would raise tariffs on Canadian goods by a further 10 per cent, Canadian cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc posted on social media, saying talks with the U.S. are “the responsibility of the federal government.” Carney, speaking to reporters in Malaysia, then underlined the point, saying negotiations with the White House are the “sole responsibility of the government of Canada” and that such talks are “the best way forward.”

The 60-second television spot featured excerpts from a 1987 address by then-President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. The ad, which aired on television networks in the US, including during World Series broadcasts on Fox, drew an angry reaction from Trump, who called it “FAKE” and a “serious misrepresentation of the facts.”

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