By Luca Caruso-Moro
March 21, 2025
BNNBLOOMBERG
This render, provided by Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly's office, shows one of a selection of slogans appearing on U.S. billboards.
Canada will erect a series of “huge billboards” along highways in the U.S. as part of a campaign to sow public discontent with American tariffs, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told CNN Friday.
The billboards will appear in 12 “red states,” the minister said, which include Florida, Nevada, Georgia, New Hampshire, Michigan and Ohio.
“We need to send a message to the American people for them to understand what’s at stake,” she said, calling them the “first victims” of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
“Please, talk to your senators, talk to your House representatives,” she said.
Canada and the U.S. are in the throes of a trade war with both countries preparing for the approaching front, which will arrive on April 2.
On that day, Trump plans to impose reciprocal tariffs against all countries, including Canada. Canada has promised to respond if the U.S. doesn’t back down.
The last several weeks have been a slog of threats, executive orders and reversals.
On Feb. 1, Trump ordered 25 per cent tariffs on all imported Canadian goods, except energy and potash, which were to be taxed at 10 per cent. Two days later, he delayed the fees until March 4. Canada unveiled counter levies to come into effect the same day.
On March 6, two days after the tariffs came into effect, Trump paused the added tax on any goods covered under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), also known as the USMCA south of the border. That exemption covers more than 98 per cent of imports from Canada.
On March 12, the U.S. imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian steel and aluminum products. Canada, in turn, imposed reciprocal tariffs on American steel and aluminum.
Trump has said the changes in his tariff scheme are an example of his flexibility. Joly said Canada delayed the second round of counter tariffs out of “good will,” but that the federal government is prepared to unleash its second round of levies attached to $125 billion in American goods on April 2.
So far, Canada has retaliated with tariffs on about $60 billion worth of American goods.
Canadian federal and provincial leaders have made various appeals to the U.S. to back down, both to its federal leaders and to the American people directly.
In addition to the trips to Washington, and meetings with the treasury and commerce secretaries, senior Canadian lawmakers have made countless appearances on American networks in an attempt to bring Trump’s constituents on side.
Canada will erect a series of “huge billboards” along highways in the U.S. as part of a campaign to sow public discontent with American tariffs, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told CNN Friday.
The billboards will appear in 12 “red states,” the minister said, which include Florida, Nevada, Georgia, New Hampshire, Michigan and Ohio.
“We need to send a message to the American people for them to understand what’s at stake,” she said, calling them the “first victims” of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
“Please, talk to your senators, talk to your House representatives,” she said.
Canada and the U.S. are in the throes of a trade war with both countries preparing for the approaching front, which will arrive on April 2.
On that day, Trump plans to impose reciprocal tariffs against all countries, including Canada. Canada has promised to respond if the U.S. doesn’t back down.
The last several weeks have been a slog of threats, executive orders and reversals.
On Feb. 1, Trump ordered 25 per cent tariffs on all imported Canadian goods, except energy and potash, which were to be taxed at 10 per cent. Two days later, he delayed the fees until March 4. Canada unveiled counter levies to come into effect the same day.
On March 6, two days after the tariffs came into effect, Trump paused the added tax on any goods covered under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), also known as the USMCA south of the border. That exemption covers more than 98 per cent of imports from Canada.
On March 12, the U.S. imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian steel and aluminum products. Canada, in turn, imposed reciprocal tariffs on American steel and aluminum.
Trump has said the changes in his tariff scheme are an example of his flexibility. Joly said Canada delayed the second round of counter tariffs out of “good will,” but that the federal government is prepared to unleash its second round of levies attached to $125 billion in American goods on April 2.
So far, Canada has retaliated with tariffs on about $60 billion worth of American goods.
Canadian federal and provincial leaders have made various appeals to the U.S. to back down, both to its federal leaders and to the American people directly.
In addition to the trips to Washington, and meetings with the treasury and commerce secretaries, senior Canadian lawmakers have made countless appearances on American networks in an attempt to bring Trump’s constituents on side.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly appeared on CNN Friday to talk about tariffs and a new ad campaign to raise awareness about the U.S.-Canada trade war.
On Friday, Joly wasn’t discreet. “Send a message that you don’t want these tariffs, because no one will win,” she said, explicitly addressing the public.
Also facing a question on whether she believes Trump is seriously willing to use economic force to acquire Canada as a state, she said she does.
“People are mad. They are infuriated. Imagine the case of another country saying that they don’t recognize the borders of the U.S.,” she said.
“How would Americans react? They would say, ‘No way, it’s unacceptable.’”
Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he support dollar-for-dollar retaliation, but most recently admitted “there is a limit” to how Canada can respond, due to the varying sizes of the two economies.
“We are not going to take an action that we think is not ultimately going to influence the United States, and certainly not one that is outright harmful to Canada given the overall approach,” Carney said earlier this week on his first trip as prime minister.
With files from Ottawa News Bureau Supervising Producer Stephanie Ha
Luca Caruso-Moro
CTVNews.ca Breaking Digital Assignment Editor
Ottawa launches anti-tariff ad campaign across 12 red states, plus a patriotic TV spot at home
Ads will appear on billboards along highways in states including Florida, Nevada, Ohio
Verity Stevenson ·
The government also launched a television ad campaign at home. It is voiced in English by Rick Mercer and in French by Remi-Pierre Paquin with music by Vancouver rock duo Japandroids.
The ad, which has been posted to the federal government's social media accounts, features footage from across the country as well as archival video of hockey games and key moments in Canadian history.
"Canada, it's time for more us," the ad begins. "We're more than just a place on a map. We're an attitude — one with more empathy than ego."
"The more we choose to stand up as our most flag-flying, maple-leaf-buying, local adventuring selves, the more we are the True North, unbreakable, strong and free," Mercer can be heard saying.
CBC News did not immediately hear back to a request to know how much the government is spending on the ads. They come only days before Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election.
The federal Conservative Party launched an attack ad against Carney on X Thursday.
On CNN, Joly said Ottawa was turning to "hard-working" Americans to pressure their lawmakers to remove U.S. tariffs already in place on steel and aluminum and prevent the wide-ranging tariffs planned for April 2.
This winter, following Trump's initial tariff threats citing border security and illegal fentanyl, the Canadian government pulled out all the stops to increase the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) presence along the border. Joly said it's clear that didn't work.
WATCH | Joly told Rubio 'Canada's sovereignty is not up to debate':
Joly scolds Rubio over Trump’s 51st state threats as G7 meeting wraps in Quebec
Duration2:01
Verity Stevenson ·
CBC News ·
Posted: Mar 21, 2025
A screenshot of a TV ad campaign launched by the Canadian government to boost patriotic sentiment in the country in the midst of tensions with the United States. (Canada/X)
Canada is trying to win the hearts and minds of Americans with an ad campaign against U.S. tariffs targeting 12 Republican-voting states.
Speaking on CNN Friday morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said the federal government paid for ads on digital billboards along key highways in red states — states where the majority voted for President Donald Trump — including Florida, Nevada, Georgia, New Hampshire, Michigan and Ohio.
"Canadians are sending the message that there's no winners in a trade war. There will be job losses on both sides of the border, particularly in the U.S.," Joly said in an interview with CNN's Pamela Brown.
Canada is trying to win the hearts and minds of Americans with an ad campaign against U.S. tariffs targeting 12 Republican-voting states.
Speaking on CNN Friday morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said the federal government paid for ads on digital billboards along key highways in red states — states where the majority voted for President Donald Trump — including Florida, Nevada, Georgia, New Hampshire, Michigan and Ohio.
"Canadians are sending the message that there's no winners in a trade war. There will be job losses on both sides of the border, particularly in the U.S.," Joly said in an interview with CNN's Pamela Brown.
The government also launched a television ad campaign at home. It is voiced in English by Rick Mercer and in French by Remi-Pierre Paquin with music by Vancouver rock duo Japandroids.
The ad, which has been posted to the federal government's social media accounts, features footage from across the country as well as archival video of hockey games and key moments in Canadian history.
"Canada, it's time for more us," the ad begins. "We're more than just a place on a map. We're an attitude — one with more empathy than ego."
"The more we choose to stand up as our most flag-flying, maple-leaf-buying, local adventuring selves, the more we are the True North, unbreakable, strong and free," Mercer can be heard saying.
CBC News did not immediately hear back to a request to know how much the government is spending on the ads. They come only days before Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election.
The federal Conservative Party launched an attack ad against Carney on X Thursday.
On CNN, Joly said Ottawa was turning to "hard-working" Americans to pressure their lawmakers to remove U.S. tariffs already in place on steel and aluminum and prevent the wide-ranging tariffs planned for April 2.
This winter, following Trump's initial tariff threats citing border security and illegal fentanyl, the Canadian government pulled out all the stops to increase the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) presence along the border. Joly said it's clear that didn't work.
What's Trump's endgame with global tariffs? Canadian officials say they have a clearer idea
"We saw that all the work we were doing in good faith was not necessarily having an impact on President Trump himself," the she said.
Brown asked Joly to react to Trump's annexation threats, most recently made in an interview with Fox's Laura Ingraham this week, when the president said Canada was "meant to be the 51st state" and called it "one of the nastiest countries to deal with."
"Americans and Canadians are best friends, are best neighbours, best allies. We never started this trade war," Joly responded.
"We saw that all the work we were doing in good faith was not necessarily having an impact on President Trump himself," the she said.
Brown asked Joly to react to Trump's annexation threats, most recently made in an interview with Fox's Laura Ingraham this week, when the president said Canada was "meant to be the 51st state" and called it "one of the nastiest countries to deal with."
"Americans and Canadians are best friends, are best neighbours, best allies. We never started this trade war," Joly responded.
WATCH | Joly told Rubio 'Canada's sovereignty is not up to debate':
Joly scolds Rubio over Trump’s 51st state threats as G7 meeting wraps in Quebec
Duration2:01
A day after U.S. President Donald Trump again called for Canada to become the 51st state, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly wrapped the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Quebec by telling U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio: ‘Canada's sovereignty is not up to debate, period.’
Joly said "the rhetoric coming out of the White House is — how can I say — absurd," and added that Canada was beginning to turn to other allies in Europe and the United Kingdom for trade and defence. Earlier this week, Joly confirmed to CBC's Power and Politics host David Cochrane that Canada was in talks with the European Union to be part of a new defence production partnership.
Canada has already retaliated with a 25 per cent tariff on nearly $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, and is threatening more counter-tariffs if Trump follows through on his plans to tax more imports on April 2.
Joly said she has been in touch with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who she met at the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in La Malbaie, Que., last week
Canada has already retaliated with a 25 per cent tariff on nearly $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, and is threatening more counter-tariffs if Trump follows through on his plans to tax more imports on April 2.
Joly said she has been in touch with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who she met at the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in La Malbaie, Que., last week
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