Business sector not sounding alarm after Trump ends trade talks over ad campaign

By Canadian Press on October 24, 2025.

OTTAWA — The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says it isn’t alarmed after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he is halting trade talks with Canada over an ad campaign run by the Ontario government.

Chamber CEO Candace Laing says the trade talks are “3D chess,” and no one should lose sight of the bigger picture in negotiations with the U.S.

Laing says every negotiation has ebbs and flows, but Canada still has a strong trade deal that supports both industry and massive investments in Canada.

Trump lashed out on social media Thursday over an ad campaign fielded by the Ontario government that features footage of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan saying tariffs damage economies.

Speaking on the tarmac of Ottawa’s airport ahead of a flight to Asia today, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada can’t control a “fundamentally changed” U.S. trade policy.

The Canadian Steel Producers Association says it will comment on the state of trade talks in the coming days and it continues to work with Ottawa toward a deal that supports the Canadian steel industry.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2025.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press