(MENAFN) Trade negotiations between the United States and Canada came to an abrupt stop after US President Donald Trump reacted angrily to an anti-tariff advertisement sponsored by the province of Ontario.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday that his government remains open to resuming the discussions whenever Washington is ready. “We can’t control the trade policy of the United States,” Carney said while speaking at an Ottawa airport before departing for a trip to Asia to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where he plans to advocate for free trade.

Reports indicated that Trump was enraged by an advertisement featuring the late US President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs—a message directed at Republican audiences known for their admiration of Reagan. Ontario reportedly spent about CAN$75 million on the campaign.

Carney emphasized that both sides had made “detailed and constructive progress” toward easing trade restrictions on several products. “We stand ready to pick up on that progress when the Americans are ready to have those discussions because it will be to the benefit of workers in the United States (and) workers in Canada,” he said.

In response to the ad, Trump denounced it as “fake” and criticized Canada in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Despite the dispute, Carney continued his international tour to strengthen economic ties beyond North America. He flew to Malaysia for a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations before heading to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.

According to statements from the prime minister’s office, Canada is intensifying efforts to diversify its trade partnerships by expanding into the Indo-Pacific region to “deepen trade and defence relationships and unlock new economic opportunities.”

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