Canada advertising opposition to tariffs on American billboards

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Canada is advertising on U.S. billboards in several states, part of the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Canadian goods.

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Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said the initiative aims to raise awareness among Americans about the negative economic impact of these tariffs on costs such as groceries and fuels.

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“We do this because we think we need to send a message to the American people so they understand what dangers are, because it really hurts their livelihoods and has an impact on their wallets,” Joley said in a appearance last Friday.

Joley urged the “hard-working Americans” to talk to their Congressional delegates, mayors and governors.

The campaign targets 12 Republican-oriented states, including Florida, Nevada, Georgia, New Hampshire, Michigan and Ohio, and trades heavily with Canada.

Billboard messages such as “Tariffs are taxed on hard-working Americans” and “Tariffs are taxed on your grocery bill,” stressing that trade policies will harm U.S. livelihoods and wallets.

Joly talked about the discussion between the U.S. Congressman (CNN) about her discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other bilateral dialogues involving colleagues in the cabinet.

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But she emphasized in the interview that “the people watching… are the only people who can influence what’s going on in the White House because ultimately they are the first victims of the taxes the federal government imposes on them.”

The movement stressed that the trade war caused unemployment and economic losses to both sides of the border. This may help turn public opinion toward seeing Canada as a partner rather than an opponent in the trade dispute.

By highlighting the negative impact of tariffs on U.S. consumers, such as higher grocery and fuel costs, the campaign aims to make the public feel dissatisfied with trade policies.

Leger vote data shows that more than half of Americans believe tariffs will harm the U.S. economy, while 72% are worried about rising grocery prices.

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Billboards have attracted attention online, and posts about them that have attracted a lot of attention on platforms like Reddit.

One in Arizona reminds residents of potential costs associated with tariffs. Phoenix’s New Times noted that Arizona’s international trade with Mexico exceeded Canada, but added that ABC 15 TV news analysis showed that Arizona companies imported $2.5 billion in Canadian products last year. One of them is mechanical and electrical parts, automotive and wood products.

So while “the tariffs on these goods may not affect grocery bills in Grand Canyon State, billboards claim…Arizona consumers will still feel austerity,” the Phoenix newspaper said.

In central Florida, opinions range from criticism of US-Canadian advertising to a polite tone of recognition of campaigns. Wesh TV in Florida reported that Canadian-backed billboards are turning to problems with local residents.

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Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at Florida Central University, told Wesh that he had never seen anything like that—the country sends a message directly to the American people.

He agreed with Canada’s message.

“We just can’t afford to bring higher costs to consumers,” Jewett said. “This is how Canada simply says Americans will pay for this tariff.”

Among the Florida residents they talked to, the reaction was mixed together.

Some say she doesn’t think Canada “should have the right to put anything here.”

The other is free: “This is typical of Canadians. They’re really good. They say, ‘Hey, look at what you’re doing, but they don’t meet like we did with them,” Eduard Pineira said.

Ottawa has not disclosed the cost of billboard sports. The State Post contacted the PMO and JOLY offices, but has not received any response yet.

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