US President Trump threatens Canada with new tariffs over smoke from Canadian wildfires
President Donald Trump says he will impose new tariffs on Canada because smoke from its wildfires is polluting northern US states. Canada says it is doing everything it can and urges cooperation instead of complaints.
US President Donald Trump is threatening Canada with new tariffs after massive wildfires in Canada sent smoke across large areas of the northern United States, causing air quality concerns. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US is suffering from an "unnecessary invasion of ugly, dirty and unhealthy air" and accused Canada of "willful negligence." He said he would call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to demand an explanation.
Trump's Republican allies have seized on the issue to revive his idea of making Canada the 51st US state, which previously caused strong outrage among Canadians, including boycotts of travel to the US. Relations between the two countries have been tense over the past year, mainly over trade. Trump already imposed tariffs on Canadian goods last year, ending a long-standing free trade regime. A new trade deal has not yet been reached.
Canadian officials say the country is doing all it can to fight the fires. Canadian MP Eleanor Olszewski stated that Canada has invested approximately C$12 billion (US$8.5 billion) in forest resilience and fire protection. She noted that the two countries have cooperated under a mutual assistance agreement on firefighting since 1982, and another agreement was reached at the 2025 G7 summit. Canada's emergency minister said the countries remain in constant contact and have a long history of working together on such disasters.
