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President Donald Trump said Friday he is considering expanding tariffs on Canadian imports to account for the impact of wildfire smoke that has drifted into the United States.
The comments come as the Trump administration continues trade negotiations with Canada and Mexico, with no long-term agreement yet reached.
In a post on Truth Social, the president criticized Canada’s forest management practices and argued the country should bear responsibility for the effects of wildfire smoke on the United States.
“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!” he wrote.
The president said he planned to speak with Canada’s prime minister about the issue.
“I will call the Prime Minister during the day to find out what they are going to do about it. The cost is incalculable! Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result,” President Trump added.
“This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”
The president’s remarks suggest wildfire-related environmental impacts could become another point of contention in the ongoing trade discussions between the two neighboring countries.
More than 800 wildfires are burning across Canada, according to ABC News, with some of the most significant fires in western Ontario. Winds have pushed dense smoke south into the United States, affecting communities across the border.
The smoke has lowered visibility and worsened air quality in major cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, New York City and Philadelphia. Public health officials have advised children, older adults, and people with asthma, heart disease or other respiratory illnesses to stay indoors or reduce outdoor activity when smoke concentrations are high.
