U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to add more tariffs on Canada over what he described as “willful negligence” to prevent wildfires that have blanketed much of Ontario and some northern U.S. states with smoke.
“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!” Trump wrote in a social media post shared Friday afternoon.
Trump said he would call Prime Minister Mark Carney to find out what Canada is “going to do about it.”
“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,” he said. “This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars.”
“[The] cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying,” he added.
Trump’s comments come after four U.S. Republicans called for sanctions against Canada over its handling of wildfires.
Republican Congressman John James, who represents a district north of Detroit, posted a “final warning” to Canada on social media.
“Manage your forests to prevent these fires. American lungs are paying the price for Canadian inaction, year after year,” he wrote.
“Sovereignty comes with responsibility, and the responsibility to prevent a foreseeable disaster from crossing into another country’s airspace has not been met.”
Responding to the criticism on Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters, “There’s some politicians out there chirping away, well maybe what you should do rather than complain, is send support, send help, because we have done the exact same thing for our American friends.”
“That’s what you’re supposed to do,” Ford added.
He says crews are battling nearly 200 active fires across the province, half of which have been deemed “out of control.”
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