'Tariffs are a tax on your grocery bill' | Canada pays for billboard in Cincinnati area amid trade war

NORWOOD, Ohio — It looks like Canada wants to get the attention of Cincinnati residents.

A billboard spotted right off the Norwood Lateral Wednesday morning says, "Tariffs are a tax on your grocery bill." Underneath, it says, "Paid for by the Government of Canada."

The ads appear to be a response to President Donald Trump's ongoing trade war with Canada. In addition to calling for our neighbors up north to become the 51st U.S. state, Trump signed an executive order in February that imposed a 25% tariff on imports from both Canada and Mexico, a 10% tariff on Canadian energy products and a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports.

Trump on multiple occasions paused or postponed some of the tariffs on Canada, but tensions remain high. On the same day the billboard was spotted, the president announced a 25% tariff on all cars not made in the U.S. starting April 2, which would majorly impact Canada and Mexico. He has also spoken about plans to add tariffs on lumber, copper and computer chips.

WATCH: Delhi Township auto repair shop owner reacts to tariff announcement

Just last week, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told CNN the country would launch ads about the tariffs near major interstates in 12 different states, including Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio.

"We know very much that these states are red states, but we're doing that because we think we need to send a message to the American people for them to understand what's at stake, because this is really going to hurt their livelihoods and have an impact on their wallets," Joly said.

Joly said she is calling on Americans to contact their legislators and let them know they are against the tariffs.

"Nobody will win in this approach coming out from the White House, so it's important that altogether we work to prevent them," Joly said.

In a statement released after Trump announced his auto industry tariffs, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said the consequences of the "escalation in this destructive tariff war will not be contained to Canada, as much as the U.S. administration would like to pretend."

"Throwing away tens of thousands of jobs on both sides of the border will mean giving up North America’s auto leadership role, instead encouraging companies to build and hire anywhere else but here. This tax hike puts plants and workers at risk for generations, if not forever," the statement continues.

Trump has said his long-term goal is to grow the domestic economy and reduce the gap between U.S. imports and exports with trade partners.