World

Tariff threat as Trump blames Canada for wildfire smoke

By David Ljunggren and Wa Lone

Jul 18, 2026

Light reflects off the water as the sun sets through smoke in Alberta — Wildfires in Canada have burned thousands of square kilometres and sent smoke far and wide. -AP

President Donald Trump has blamed Canada for wildfire smoke spreading across the United States and ‌say he will add the "incalculable cost" of dealing with the pollution to existing tariffs on Canadian goods.

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Heavy smoke from hundreds of Canadian fires enveloped a swathe of the US from the midwest ‌to the northeast on Thursday and Friday, prompting warnings to residents to stay indoors.

Trump, who has a combative relationship with Prime Minister Mark Carney, said he would be calling the Canadian leader to find out what he planned to do about the "totally unacceptable" situation.

"We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests ... and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air," he said in a Truth Social post.

"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."

Canada's minister of emergency management and community resilience, Eleanor Olszewski, said the government has invested $C12 billion ($A12.3 billion) in forest sustainability and fire prevention since 2020 as the country faces increasingly drier, warmer weather.

She also cited a long history of US-Canadian partnership in fighting wildfires on both sides of their border.

"At this time, our first priority is protecting Canadians and keeping communities safe," Olszewski said in a statement.

Climate experts say rising temperatures have led to drier timber and more wildfires in recent years in Canada, home to some of the world's largest forest landscapes.

Shortly after taking office in 2025, Trump imposed tariffs on several key imports from Canada.

Carney's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's remarks.

Carney said on Thursday the United States could do ‌more to combat climate change that is leading to more prolonged drought and rising temperatures around the world.

The two men are likely to meet at the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday.

Many blazes are in the giant province of Ontario and are concentrated in the remote and sparsely populated northwest, where the only mode of transport is via air.

So far, 2630 square kilometres have burned, compared with 2430 sq km at the same time in 2025.

Thousands of people have been evacuated.

The United States is also experiencing an above-average fire year, with 14,970 sq km burned to date in 2026 compared with a 10-year average of 10,930 sq km, according to ⁠the National Interagency Fire Center.