Key facts
- President Trump demanded damages from Canada over wildfire smoke affecting the U.S.
- Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada in response to the smoke.
- Canada is issuing air quality warnings due to smoke from U.S. wildfires.
- Over 900 wildfires are currently burning across Canada.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated climate change is a shared responsibility.
U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded damages from Canada over wildfire smoke affecting the U.S., threatening to impose new tariffs. Trump told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that Canada must control the wildfires burning across the country, whose smoke has been 'poisoning our air' in the U.S. The remarks came after Trump threatened last week to impose new tariffs on Canada to pay for what he described as the 'incalculable' cost of the smoke's impact on the U.S.
More than 900 wildfires are raging across Canada, forcing thousands of people to evacuate and destroying homes. Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested that Trump should offer support to 'closest allies and friends' rather than threaten tariffs. Canada has helped during natural disasters in the U.S., he noted, and questioned why one would 'need our help' someday.
In response to Trump's criticism, Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that fighting climate change is a responsibility shared by all countries, including the U.S. He also said that over 5,000 firefighters and nearly 300 aircraft have been mobilized to contain the fires.
Meanwhile, Canadian officials have issued air quality warnings in British Columbia due to smoke from wildfires in Washington and Oregon. Some 1,800 people have been evacuated in Ontario due to wildfires, and the community of Whitewater Lake First Nation was burned over the weekend.