"Tariffs Must Be Increased Over Canadian Wildfire Smoke"... Trump Ramps Up Pressure

Claims Poor Forest Management Led to Air Pollution
Pressures Canada, Announces Call with Prime Minister

Recently, more than 800 wildfires broke out in Canada, causing air quality in the eastern United States to deteriorate. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump referenced forest management responsibilities and argued, "We need to impose more tariffs."

On the 17th (local time), President Trump stated on his social networking service (SNS), "Because Canada has not properly managed its forests and underbrush, the United States is being unnecessarily exposed to harmful air."

U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by Yonhap News

He continued, "Canada must be held accountable for this," and added, "I will speak with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney today to determine how to resolve this issue," calling for the Canadian government to take action.

President Trump argued that the current situation is the result of Canada's negligence in basic forest management and failure to remove forest debris. He said, "It is deliberate negligence to leave things as they are while knowing it would lead to these consequences," and added, "Due to wildfires that occur every year, the United States suffers billions of dollars in damages."

He further emphasized, "The costs incurred from this pollution should be added to the tariffs that Canada currently pays." However, he did not specify how the additional tariffs would actually be imposed.

Since last year, President Trump has used tariffs as a major negotiating tool. However, imposing tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—a provision he frequently used during previous tariff wars—is now restricted due to a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. Nevertheless, this time he is pressuring Canada by linking environmental damage caused by wildfire smoke to the tariff issue.

The scene of New York, USA, where an air quality alert was issued due to wildfire smoke from Canada. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Recently, over 800 wildfires have erupted in Canada, causing massive amounts of smoke to spread across the northeastern and midwestern United States. As a result, air quality in major cities such as New York, Washington D.C., Detroit, and Chicago has significantly worsened, triggering health alerts.

The U.S. environmental authorities are closely monitoring the possibility of smoke returning to some areas around the weekend. However, starting from the afternoon of the 17th, air quality in eastern regions, including New York City, began to gradually improve.

Meanwhile, President Trump is scheduled to personally attend the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup final (Spain vs. Argentina) on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) forecasts that air quality on the day of the match will recover to a "moderate" level.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.