President Trump today blamed Canada for the wildfire haze that has spread across the United States, and said he would add the “incalculable costs” of dealing with the pollution to existing tariffs on Canadian goods .
Reuters reports that thick smoke from hundreds of wildfires across Canada yesterday and today blanketed a large area from the Midwest to the Northeast of the United States, prompting authorities to advise residents to stay indoors.
Trump, in a tit-for-tat exchange with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, said he would call the Canadian leader to ask how he planned to handle the “completely unacceptable” situation.
Trump posted on his own social media platform, Truth Social, writing: “We will hold Canada accountable for their failure to properly maintain their forests… The United States is being invaded by dirty, polluted, and unhealthy air for no reason.”
“This is deliberate negligence, and it has become the norm every year, costing the United States billions of dollars. The costs of this pollution will inevitably be added to the tariffs that Canada is currently paying.”
However, climate experts point out that rising temperatures have led to drier forests and consequently more wildfires in recent years. Canada has one of the world’s largest forest areas.
“As the climate warms, we are seeing more hot, dry, windy, and extreme weather that fuels the spread of fires, and we will see more fires in the future,” said Mike Flannigan, a professor at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia who studies wildfires.
Trump imposed tariffs on several key Canadian imports shortly after taking office in 2025.
Carney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Carney stated yesterday that the United States can do more to combat climate change, which is causing global temperatures to rise and making extreme heat events more frequent.
