Trump Demands Tariffs on Canada Over Wildfire Smoke, Citing Air Pollution Costs

U.S. President Donald Trump argued on July 17 (local time) that Canada should face additional tariffs in response to the severe air pollution in the eastern United States caused by smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires.

President Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, that day, "We are holding Canada accountable for the fact that the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by dirty, polluted, and unhealthy air because Canada has failed to properly manage its forests and brush."

He added, "I will be calling the Canadian Prime Minister later today to see what they are going to do about this."

President Trump further claimed, "Canada has refused to engage in basic forest management and debris removal, and they knew exactly what this refusal would lead to. This is gross negligence, a recurring annual problem that is costing the United States billions of dollars."

He specifically stated, "The costs associated with this pollution must inevitably be added to the tariffs Canada currently pays."

This marks another instance of the President threatening another country with tariffs, claiming that the U.S. is suffering losses. However, President Trump did not explain how he intends to impose such tariffs on Canada.

The imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which President Trump frequently utilized during the trade war last year, has already been blocked by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

President Trump traveled from Washington, D.C., to New York City today to attend a FIFA reception held at Trump Tower.

Air quality in New York City and other parts of the U.S. East Coast had severely deteriorated due to the influx of smoke from Canadian wildfires, but conditions have been improving as of this afternoon.

President Trump is scheduled to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup final match between Spain and Argentina, which will be held at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in New Jersey near New York City on July 19. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expects the air quality index to improve to a moderate level by that day.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.