Trump threatens new Canada tariffs over fires sending 'filthy' air into US cities
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canada, citing 'willful negligence' regarding forest management as wildfires cause smoke pollution in the US. The threat comes amid ongoing trade tensions and calls from some Republicans to annex Canada.
Why it matters
This escalation threatens to further destabilize US-Canada trade relations and complicates cross-border cooperation on environmental and climate issues.
Image source, Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images Image caption, Smoke from the massive wildfires has cast an orange haze over New York City
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada after hundreds of wildfires have left much of the northern US choked by a blanket of smoke.
The threat follows complaints by US lawmakers over the wildfires and Ontario's premier Doug Ford asking the US to send support to fight the fires, rather than complain.
"The United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air," Trump said, threatening to impose new levies over Canada's "willful negligence".
As of Friday, there were about 888 fires actively burning in Canada, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System , external - with the majority burning out of control.
More than 190 of those blazes are burning in Ontario, some out of control.
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