US President says Canada should stop wildfire smoke from “poisoning” American air, suggests compensation or fresh tariffs if the crisis continues.
Washington DC (US), July 20, 2026, BNN Web Staff: Diplomatic tensions between the United States and Canada have escalated after US President Donald Trump warned of possible tariffs and demanded compensation from Canada over wildfire smoke that has engulfed several American cities.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said he had raised the issue directly with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging Ottawa to take stronger action to control the raging wildfires that continue to send thick smoke across the border.
“I told them, you’ve got to stop these fires from coming in and poisoning our air. Our air has been poisoned,” Trump said.
While describing his relationship with Carney as cordial, Trump insisted that Canada must be held accountable if the smoke continues to affect Americans.
“We have a good relationship with Mark Carney, but we have to stop the fires up there. If we can help them, we’ll help them. But maybe they should pay us damages, or we should impose tariffs,” he added.
The remarks come days after Trump accused Canada of failing to properly manage its forests. In a post on Truth Social, he alleged that poor forest maintenance had led to dangerous levels of air pollution across several US cities.
“We are holding Canada responsible for not properly maintaining their forests and brush. The United States is being invaded by filthy, polluted and unhealthy air, which is dangerous and totally unacceptable,” Trump wrote.
He further claimed that the economic costs caused by the pollution should be factored into tariffs imposed on Canadian imports.
The dispute comes as hundreds of wildfires continue to burn across Canada. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, 888 wildfires were active nationwide on Friday, with most classified as out of control.
Ontario alone reported more than 190 active fires, with smoke spreading into several US states, including Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York. Air quality monitoring agency IQAir reported that Detroit recorded the world’s worst air quality on Friday, followed by Chicago, Washington, DC and New York.
Responding to the growing criticism, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said both countries share responsibility for tackling climate-related challenges. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged the United States to provide additional firefighting support instead of criticising Canada’s wildfire response.
