President Trump is threatening to impose additional tariffs on Canada, accusing the country of “willful negligence” for failing to properly maintain its forests.

“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable! I will call the Prime Minister during the day to find out what they are going to do about it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“The cost is incalculable! Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result. This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying,” he continued.

The Hill shared further:

More than a dozen U.S. states are under air quality alerts as wildfires continue to burn across Canada and in northern Minnesota, with officials urging residents in some major U.S. cities, such as Chicago and Washington, D.C., to stay indoors or wear masks due to potentially hazardous air pollution.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, a fire protection service based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, reported 897 active fires as of Friday, with Ontario, Quebec and the Northwest Territories seeing the most activity. Fewer than 100 of those fires are considered “under control.”

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Detroit, Minneapolis, and Chicago recorded some of the worst air quality measurements in the world this week.

Worst Air Quality In The World Recorded In Major American City

New York City has also been impacted by the wildfire smoke throughout the week.

Major American City Under Air Quality Alert Due To Canadian Wildfire Smoke

POLITICO has more:

GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio pledged to introduce legislation next week that would “sanction Canada and the responsible Canadian government officials for this atrocity,” he posted on X.

Canada, meanwhile, stressed its long-standing partnership with the U.S. in combatting wildfires, which included sending firefighters and supplies to help fight last year’s blazes in Los Angeles.

“This is a shared challenge, and it demands a shared response,” said U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra in a statement Wednesday. “I commend the outstanding cooperation between the United States and Canada as we confront these fires together. Our two governments are monitoring and sharing information in real time — coordination that reflects our partnership at its best.”

But air quality has grown increasingly dangerous across the U.S. Cities as far south as Washington drew a “purple” air quality rating Friday morning — “very unhealthy,” according to EPA’s monitoring tool.

Moreno’s bill would direct the president to impose financial sanctions on Canada — and restrict visas on certain Canadian individuals involved in government or wildfire mitigation — should it be determined that Canada is not adequately curtailing their wildfires.

The smoke hit border-state Michigan earlier this week, prompting backlash from four Republican lawmakers — Reps. Jack Bergman, John James, Lisa McClain and John Moolenaar — who wrote to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney panning Canada’s lack of wildfire mitigation efforts.

 

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