Canada Outraged by Trump's 'Wildfire Tariff' Despite Assisting U.S. Firefighting Efforts

Canada has strongly protested remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that tariffs should be imposed to cover the costs of air pollution caused by wildfires.
Critics argue that while Canada did not hesitate to provide assistance when the United States suffered from wildfires, the U.S. is now threatening to impose tariffs on Canada as it faces its own wildfire crisis.
According to CNN, Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated on July 18 (local time), "We sent all our equipment and personnel to California to help fight the fires last year," adding, "It seems the U.S. has forgotten all about that, even though it was just last year."
Premier Ford defined helping with wildfire suppression as "what neighbors do," and criticized the U.S. stance, saying, "It is unfortunate that the U.S. is blaming us."
He further emphasized, "You shouldn't just go around threatening or blaming people, because one day it will be your turn."
He added, "We will still rush to the scene and help our neighbors without hesitation when that time comes."
Premier Ford's remarks were a rebuttal to President Trump's claim that he would impose air pollution costs on Canada due to its wildfires.
President Trump had previously argued that he would hold Canada accountable after smoke from wildfires sweeping across Canada crossed the border and spread to the U.S. Midwest and East Coast.
He stated, "Canada is not managing its forests properly, which is causing polluted air to enter the U.S.," and added, "We should add air pollution costs to the tariffs Canada is currently paying."
Canada is currently suffering from over 800 wildfires burning across the country.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.