Earlier this month, the Ontario government launched an ad campaign that used excerpts from Reagan’s 1987 “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade.” In it, Reagan warned that tariffs could hurt American jobs and consumers, a message Ontario officials said was meant to highlight the economic risks of protectionism.
Premier Doug Ford defended the campaign, saying it was designed to “remind our friends south of the border that trade is good for both of us.” The $75 million ad buy aired on major U.S. networks.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, however, criticized the use of Reagan’s words, saying the ad misrepresented the late president’s message and was used without authorization.
Trump’s response
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump accused Canada of “fraudulently” using Reagan’s image to attack his trade policy and declared, “All trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated.”
Trump claimed the ad was an attempt to influence a pending Supreme Court decision on the legality of his tariff policies. He called it “a foreign interference in American policy disguised as advertising.”
The Trump administration has already imposed steep tariffs on Canadian aluminum, steel and lumber, some as high as 35 percent, which Canada has challenged as unfair and harmful to both economies.
President Trump frequently references Ronald Reagan as a great president and adopted his slogan “Make America Great Again,” but he has also criticized Reagan and distanced himself from his predecessor at times.
Canada’s reaction
Ontario Premier Doug Ford posted the full Reagan speech online, saying the quotes were used accurately and without alteration. “We stand by our message,” Ford said. “Free trade benefits both sides of the border.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney called Trump’s move “disappointing,” but said Canada remains committed to diplomacy and to diversifying its export markets beyond the United States.
Canadian federal officials have not formally responded to the end of talks, though the prime minister’s office said it is reviewing “the potential economic impacts” of Trump’s decision.
Trade between the two nations totaled nearly $900 billion in goods and services last year. Ending trade negotiations could threaten key industries including steel, autos and agriculture, while disrupting the long-standing economic partnership between the neighboring countries.
A spokesperson for the Reagan Foundation said it is “reviewing options” regarding Ontario’s use of the late president’s remarks. Both leaders are expected to attend an economic summit in Asia next month, though no bilateral meeting has been confirmed.
Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade
Below is a full, verified transcription of Ronald Reagan’s “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade”, delivered April 25, 1987, from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library archives.
April 25, 1987
My fellow Americans:
One of the great questions facing our country today is how to keep America growing, creating jobs, and providing the best standard of living in the world. One key to achieving that goal is expanding world trade—trade that is free and fair.
The United States is the world’s leading trading nation. We sell more overseas than any other country, and we buy more as well. This trade supports more than 10 million American jobs and helps provide consumers with better goods at lower prices.
Unfortunately, there are still too many barriers that stand in the way of free trade. Many countries protect their domestic industries through unfair trade practices—such as subsidies, import quotas, and high tariffs—that keep out American goods and put our workers at an unfair disadvantage.
That’s why we’ve been working hard to open markets abroad. In the past six years, we’ve negotiated agreements that have reduced or eliminated hundreds of unfair trade barriers, and we’re fighting to make sure that other nations live up to their commitments.
But let’s also be clear about something else: protectionism is destructionism. It costs jobs. It costs our workers and our farmers and our consumers. History shows that protectionism does not work. If you erect a wall around America, you’ll not only keep imports out, you’ll keep exports in—exports that generate the jobs we want and need.
During the Great Depression, when other nations began raising their tariffs, the United States followed suit. The result was a deepening of the Depression and the loss of millions of American jobs. We must never let that happen again.
Instead, we must press forward toward a world of freer trade and greater opportunity. That’s why my administration is working for new agreements under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade—known as the GATT—to lower barriers and make the trading system fairer for everyone.
We’re also working with our friends and allies to ensure that trade among us is based on the principles of fairness and reciprocity. That means opening foreign markets to American goods just as our markets are open to theirs.
When trade is fair and open, America wins. Our workers are the most productive in the world. Our products are the best. If we play on a level field, we can compete and win anywhere.
So, let’s not turn back to the false promises of protectionism. Let’s move forward to the real promise of expanding opportunity through free and fair trade. That’s how we’ll keep America growing, strong, and prosperous in the years ahead.
Until next week, thanks for listening, and God bless you.
