Canadian government buys billboards warning against President Trump's tariffs
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A digital billboards in Winter Springs, Florida. Photo: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Billboards targeting President Trump's tariffs are popping up around Florida — and being paid for by the Canadian government.
Why it matters: It's the latest and most visible sign of a brewing trade war with one of America's closest allies that has implications for everyday people in both countries.
- The billboards are meant to "heighten [Americans'] understanding" about what tariffs do, a spokesperson for the Canadian government told the Orlando Sentinel.
Zoom in: Off I-75 in Miramar, the digital billboard reads, "Tariffs are a tax on hardworking Americans," before changing to "Tariffs are a tax on your grocery bill," reported NBC 6.
- Other billboards read "tariffs are a tax at the gas pump."
Zoom out: The Canadian government paid for billboards in Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, among other places.
Between the lines: The total number of billboards and the cost is unknown, but a spokesperson told the Sentinel the campaign was targeting Republican-leaning and battleground states.
The big picture: Last week, Canadian officials slammed Trump's auto tariffs, which go into effect Wednesday, and vowed a swift response.
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford took to X to push back on the tariffs, Axios' Ben Berkowitz reported, using similar messaging as the billboards.
- "His 25 per cent tariffs on cars and light trucks will do nothing more than increase costs for hard-working American families," he wrote.
Martin's thought bubble: I spotted the Canada-funded ad atop an ATM at the Canoe Creek Florida Turnpike service plaza.
- It was right next to a Canada Dry soda machine.