Trump threatens tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke affecting U.S. air quality
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
President Donald Trump said the United States will hold Canada accountable for costs linked to smoke from Canadian wildfires and indicated possible tariff measures.
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States will seek compensation from Canada for expenses tied to deteriorating air quality caused by smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota. In a post on his social media platform, Trump wrote that the cost to the United States is "incalculable" and described the situation as "willful negligence," adding that the expense should be reflected in tariffs imposed on Canada.
Trump said he would contact Justin Trudeau to discuss the issue and accused Canada of failing to maintain its forests and brush, which he said resulted in "filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air" entering the United States.
"Each of us has his own responsibility. At the moment, we’re emphasizing investment in clean energy, but in the U.S., there are modes of production which are working against clean energy," Justin Trudeau told reporters in French, noting that Canada is pursuing clean-energy efforts globally while the United States is reducing its footprint.
The remarks come as air-quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million people across the Midwest and Northeast, with major cities such as Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York experiencing hazardous smoke conditions. The situation also raised concerns about the upcoming World Cup final in New Jersey, which Trump plans to attend.
Trump's tariff threat follows the administration's July 1 announcement that it will withdraw from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade pact that has governed North American commerce for six years.