Trump threatens higher Canada tariffs over wildfire smoke
The president said costs from Canadian wildfire smoke should be added to tariffs as fires burned across Canada and air quality worsened in U.S. cities.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariff costs on Canadian goods over wildfire smoke drifting into the United States, tying a natural disaster to an escalating trade fight. His comments came as Canadian officials battled 896 active fires and smoke reduced air quality across parts of North America.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday that Canada had failed to maintain its forests and brush, and said the United States was being exposed to polluted air that he called dangerous and unacceptable. He said he planned to call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and argued that costs from the smoke should be added to tariffs already imposed on Canadian exports.
About 200 fires were burning in Ontario, according to officials cited by Al Jazeera. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said 81 fires in the province remained out of control.
Tariffs used as pressure
Trump’s threat adds wildfire smoke to the list of issues he has linked to tariffs since returning to office in January 2025. Al Jazeera reported that he has used tariff threats to press Canada on border security and trade practices he considers unfair.
Trump has also urged Canada to give up its sovereignty and become the 51st U.S. state, according to Al Jazeera. His latest statement accused Canada of negligence and said the financial cost to the United States was incalculable.
Scientists have linked the spread and severity of North American wildfires to several factors, including heat, dry conditions and climate change, Al Jazeera reported. Scientists also say fire risk can be shaped by drought, high temperatures, past fire-suppression policies that leave excess vegetation, and growth in areas where development meets wildlands.
Trump has often blamed political leaders for major wildfire damage. In 2025, he criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom during fires near Los Angeles, faulting the state’s water policies and protections for endangered species. Experts said those accusations had little factual basis, according to Al Jazeera.
Ontario evacuations
Ontario faced its largest fire of the year so far in mid-July, when smaller fires combined in Wabakimi Provincial Park and destroyed First Nations communities, Al Jazeera reported. Ford said Friday that 10 communities had been evacuated.
Ford thanked leaders in Canada and in U.S. states including Massachusetts and Minnesota for sending help. He wrote on social media that neighbors support each other and said Ontario had supported American partners during past emergencies.
Some Republicans have joined Trump in criticizing Canada’s fire management. U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga of Michigan wrote Thursday that Canada’s inability to prevent, contain and reduce wildfires needed to be addressed, saying the fires harm health, quality of life and economic prosperity.
Trump repeated Friday that Canada should have removed debris and improved forest management. He wrote that Canada’s refusal to do so amounted to willful negligence and said the fires had become a yearly problem costing the United States billions of dollars.
The smoke has also raised concerns about this weekend’s FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey, Al Jazeera reported. Separately, The New York Times reported Friday that the Trump administration had cut funding for wildfire research, including labs studying how wildfire smoke affects human health.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.