Trump Escalates Trade Tensions with Canada Over Reagan Ad, Imposes Additional 10% Tariff

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

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Image Source: Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

President Donald Trump intensified his trade dispute with Canada on Saturday, announcing a 10 percent tariff increase on Canadian goods after denouncing a provincial television ad that featured edited audio of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.

The ad, paid for by Ontario’s government, used genuine excerpts from Reagan’s 1987 address arranged in a different order to highlight the economic risks of tariffs. Trump accused the commercial of being “fraudulent” and claimed it was intended to sway the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming hearings on his trade policies. In response, he halted months of trade negotiations with Canada earlier this week.

“The sole purpose of this fraud was Canada’s hope that the U.S. Supreme Court will come to their rescue on tariffs,” Trump said in a social media post, declaring the new tariff hike.

Relations between the two close allies have deteriorated sharply since Trump’s election, with both nations engaged in repeated disputes over steel, aluminum, autos, and softwood lumber. The new tariffs come at a time when Canadian goods such as aluminum and steel already face levies of up to 50 percent, while auto parts are taxed at 25 percent.

Ontario officials defended the ad as an accurate reflection of Reagan’s long-held opposition to tariffs, but removed it from broadcast following Trump’s backlash. The commercial aired during World Series games featuring the Toronto Blue Jays, drawing wide public attention.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is traveling to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, has avoided direct criticism but reaffirmed his government’s commitment to “constructive discussions” once the U.S. resumes talks.

Trump announced the tariff hike while en route to Asia, signaling that the trade confrontation with Canada is far from over. The latest escalation adds further strain to cross-border economic relations, which underpin one of the world’s largest trading partnerships.

China’s Economy Grows at Slowest Pace in a Year as Trade Pressures Mount

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Business

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Image Source: AFP/ Getty Images

China’s economy expanded by 4.8 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, marking its weakest growth rate in a year and highlighting the mounting challenges Beijing faces amid global trade tensions and a softening domestic market.

The result falls short of the country’s annual growth target of "about 5 percent," raising concerns as leaders convene to chart the next five-year economic plan. The slowdown reflects a troublesome mixture of weak domestic demand, a stressed real-estate sector, and escalating external pressures.

Industrial output did show some resilience, rising 6.5 percent in September from a year earlier. Yet property investment dropped nearly 14 percent in the first nine months of the year, amplifying worries about the housing market’s ripple effect on consumer confidence and economic activity.

Export growth remains the standout contributor, helping offset some of the domestic drag, but analysts warn that this export-driven model is increasingly fragile in the face of shifting global sentiment and trade disruptions. With key leaders gathering at the upcoming plenum, policymakers are expected to double down on high-technology investment, industrial self-reliance, and other state-driven strategies to bolster growth.

Observers caution that unless domestic consumption is revived, China’s longer-term trajectory may face greater strain. The combination of a depressed property sector, faltering domestic spending, and volatile external conditions suggests that while growth is holding, it may be at a lower threshold and less sustainable than headline figures imply.

As China’s leadership prepares for face-to-face talks with U.S. officials and positions itself for the next phase of economic development, the latest numbers underscore the balancing act ahead: reconciling external diplomatic and trade pressures with the urgent need to reignite internal demand and rebuild momentum.

Thailand to Sign Ceasefire with Cambodia Ahead of ASEAN Summit as Trump Begins Asia Tour

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will travel to Malaysia on Saturday to sign a ceasefire agreement with Cambodia and meet U.S. President Donald Trump, marking a significant diplomatic moment ahead of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. His visit will be brief, as he is set to return to Bangkok following the recent death of Queen Mother Sirikit.

Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathered on Saturday to open a weekend of high-level meetings. The event coincides with trade discussions between delegations from the United States and China, led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice Premier He Lifeng, aimed at easing tensions after Washington threatened new tariffs on Chinese goods.

Trump is scheduled to arrive in Malaysia on Sunday as part of his first official visit to Asia since taking office. He is expected to witness the signing of the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, a deal he helped facilitate after a deadly border conflict in July that left dozens dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.

The Thai leader will attend the ASEAN Summit’s opening ceremony before meeting Trump to discuss economic cooperation, security, and regional stability. “Thailand has recently received several requests for bilateral meetings at the leadership level, which will strengthen collaboration in key sectors,” Anutin said in a statement.

Trump’s trip will also include talks with other world leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Canada’s Mark Carney, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

ASEAN members are expected to reaffirm their commitment to trade multilateralism and welcome East Timor as the bloc’s 11th member, underscoring the region’s growing importance in global diplomacy.

At the same time, Trump faces mounting pressure to manage multiple trade disputes, testing his negotiation skills as he seeks to reinforce U.S. influence in Asia.