Trump says wildfire smoke costs should be added to Canadian tariffs
The president accused Ottawa of failing to address wildfires that have pushed smoke and hazardous air into parts of the United States.
By Sarah Jenkins · Chief Macro Economics Correspondent
· 2 min read
President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States should add costs from Canadian wildfire smoke to tariffs Canada is already paying, escalating a cross-border environmental dispute into trade policy. In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Ottawa of failing to respond adequately as smoke from major fires pushed air quality to dangerous levels in large U.S. cities for multiple days, according to CNBC.
Trump called the situation “totally unacceptable” and said the costs imposed on the United States “must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.” He did not specify in the post how the additional amount would be calculated, which imports would be affected, or when any change might take effect.
The president also said he planned to speak later Friday with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “to find out what they are going to do about it.” CNBC reported the comments shortly after they were posted.
Smoke adds pressure to U.S.-Canada relations
The dispute comes as wildfire smoke from Canada has spread across parts of the United States. A photograph credited to Selcuk Acar of Anadolu via Getty Images showed smoke from Canadian fires covering the New York City skyline on July 16, reducing visibility and giving the city an orange haze.
Trump’s remarks frame the smoke as an economic cost to the United States as well as a public health and environmental problem. A tariff is a charge applied at the border to covered imports. Trump’s post described using that tool to attach smoke-related costs to existing Canadian tariff payments, although it did not describe the legal or administrative process for doing so.
The president’s statement did not include an estimate of U.S. costs tied to the smoke, nor did it cite a specific Canadian wildfire policy or response measure. It also did not say whether the planned call with Carney would precede any formal tariff action.
Canada and the United States share extensive trade links, and tariff changes can affect companies that move goods across the border as well as consumers and producers that rely on those supply chains. Trump’s comments indicate that the administration is considering trade measures in response to the wildfire smoke, while the details of any proposed action remain unclear from the public statement.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC Markets.
