U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Canada should face additional tariffs due to severe air pollution in the eastern United States caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.
On his social media platform Truth Social today (July 18), President Trump wrote, "We are holding Canada accountable for the fact that they have not properly managed their forests and brush, causing the United States to be unnecessarily invaded by dirty, polluted, and unhealthy air."
He added, "I will be calling the Prime Minister of Canada later today to see what they are going to do about this."
President Trump further argued, "Canada has refused to do basic forest management and debris removal, and they knew exactly what this would lead to. This is gross negligence, a recurring problem every year, and it is costing the United States billions of dollars."
He specifically stated, "The cost of this pollution must inevitably be added to the tariffs Canada currently pays."
However, President Trump did not explain how he intends to impose such tariffs on Canada.
Previously, the imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which President Trump frequently utilized during the trade war last year, has already been blocked by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
In response to President Trump's somewhat forced argument, internet users commented, "What about the smoke from the California wildfires in the past?" and "Should we then impose tariffs on Chinese fine dust?"
President Trump is currently traveling from Washington, D.C. to New York City to attend a FIFA reception. New York City and other parts of the U.S. East Coast are experiencing poor air quality due to the influx of smoke from the Canadian wildfires.
President Trump is scheduled to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey stadium on the afternoon of July 19. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expects air quality levels to improve to a moderate level by that day.
Reported by Lee Ho-geon | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
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