Donald Trump lashes out at Canada over air pollution in the United States caused by forest fires

Smoke from the fires in Canada plunged several American cities into a thick blanket of pollution on Friday.

Donald Trump on Friday attacked Canada over the severe air pollution affecting the northeastern United States, caused by wildfires burning in its northern neighbor, just two days before the 2026 World Cup final near New York. "We hold Canada responsible for not properly managing its forests (...), and the United States is needlessly inundated with dirty, polluted, and unhealthy air (...), which is totally unacceptable!" the US president declared on his Truth Social platform. "I'm going to call the prime minister later today to find out what they plan to do," he added.

In his message, Donald Trump also threatened Canada with higher tariffs to cover the "cost of this pollution." While some Canadian products not included in a North American free trade agreement are subject to temporary 10% tariffs by Washington, this represents only a minority of exports.

Sector-specific tariffs introduced by Donald Trump, particularly in the steel and aluminum sectors, also target Canada.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has blanketed several major American cities, from Chicago to Washington, D.C., including New York, in a thick layer of pollution. The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in the suburbs of the metropolis. According to the latest figures from local authorities, the situation continues to worsen in Canada, with 207 fires out of control across the country out of a total of 897 active fires.