Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Apologizes to Trump over a controversial anti-tariff political ad and said he instructed Ontario Premier Doug Ford not to air it.
Speaking to reporters in South Korea on Saturday, following the Asia-Pacific summit, Carney confirmed that he privately apologized to Trump during a dinner hosted by South Korea’s president on Wednesday.
Mark Carney Apologizes to Trump “I did apologise to the president,” Carney said, confirming Trump’s earlier remarks.
Carney added that he had reviewed the ad with Ford before it was broadcast and made clear his opposition. “I told Ford I did not want to go forward with the ad,” he said.
The advertisement, commissioned by Ford, featured a clip of former US president Ronald Reagan warning that tariffs lead to trade wars and economic disaster. The move angered Washington, prompting Trump to raise tariffs on Canadian goods and suspend trade talks between the two countries.
Mark Carney Apologizes to Trump
When leaving South Korea earlier in the week, Trump described his conversation with Carney as “very nice,” though he later reiterated that trade negotiations with Canada remain on hold.
Mark Carney also said his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday marked a “turning point” in bilateral relations after years of diplomatic strain. The last formal meeting between Canadian and Chinese leaders was in 2017, when then–Prime Minister Justin Trudeau briefly met Xi in San Francisco. Mark Carney Apologizes to Trump Over Anti Tariff Ad as Tensions Rise.
Relations between Ottawa and Beijing have been tense in recent years, with Canadian citizens detained and executed in China and evidence of Chinese interference in at least two federal elections. (source)
Carney said he and Xi discussed several issues, including foreign interference, and emphasized that his Asia trip was part of a broader effort to diversify Canada’s economic ties and reduce dependence on the United States.
