US President Donald Trump directly accused Canada of drifting smoke from wildfires across the border, announcing that the cost of the resulting pollution must be added to the tariffs Canada currently pays the United States. The announcement was made on his social media platform Truth Social, where he stressed that the Canadian government is responsible for the lack of maintenance of adequate forests, which results in dirty, polluted, and unhealthy air entering the United States.
Trump stated that the air quality arriving from Canada is dangerous and completely unacceptable for American citizens. Although he announced this measure, he did not provide details on how the costs of the pollution would be calculated, nor how the measure would be implemented. He also stated that he would contact the Canadian prime minister to find out what plan the Canadian government has for fighting the current wildfires.
The air quality situation has become critical in recent weeks, particularly in parts of the United States. Smoke from the wildfires has significantly worsened conditions in the eastern US, with public concern particularly noticeable ahead of the World Cup final that weekend near New York. A particularly difficult situation was recorded in the Canadian province of Ontario, where authorities had to request help from the federal government.
Across Canada, 209 out of a total of 893 active wildfires are out of control, with smoke from these fires drifting towards the US depending on weather conditions. Canadian authorities face large forest fires every year, but this year the smoke has had a particularly drastic effect on the air quality in Toronto and other parts of the country, prompting Trump's sharp reaction and threat of new tariff measures.
