Canadian premier calls Trump’s threat to add wildfire pollution costs to tariffs ‘unacceptable’

By Molly English, Sydney Bishop, CNN

(CNN) — The leader of Canada’s Ontario province on Saturday lashed out at President Donald Trump over his threat to add “the cost of pollution” from that country’s wildfires to US tariffs.

Trump said Friday that he’s holding Canada responsible for wildfire smoke hovering over much of the Midwest and the eastern United States and vowed to call Prime Minister Mark Carney “to find out what they are doing about it.” He suggested that the cost of dealing with pollution from the fires that continued to blanket large swaths of the US on Saturday could be added to the tariffs that Canada is already paying.

“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 Truth Social post.

On Saturday, Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, where there are 191 active wildfires, expressed frustration with Trump’s comments. He noted that that Canadian rescue workers helped fight wildfires in Southern California last year.

“I find it a shame the administration in the US and Congress people (are) writing these letters and blaming us,” Ford said during a news conference. “They have a very short, short memory. We had the water bombers, everyone ready, going over to California. It was last year.”

“That’s what neighbors do, right? You don’t get on and start threatening and criticizing, because, guess what? One day, it’s going to be your turn,” he continued. “And we’re going to be down there without hesitation to support our neighbors.”

More than 100 million people in 18 states and the District of Columbia have been under air quality alerts. “Very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality stretches from northeast Minnesota to southeast Virginia.

“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,” he added.

Tensions are already thick between the two countries.

After the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not use emergency powers to levy tariffs, the president has resorted to using other statutes that require investigations and public comment periods. Although that has slowed the tariff process, the administration has committed to getting America’s effective tariff rate back to where it was earlier this year before the Supreme Court’s consequential ruling.

Canada, however, has long been a thorn in Trump’s side, and Trump has saved some of his highest tariffs for America’s northern neighbor. He has accused the country of unfair lumber trade and stealing US auto jobs. Despite Trump’s particular animosity toward Canada, the country has been largely insulated by the USMCA trade pact that Trump himself negotiated in his first term. That exempted thousands of goods that otherwise would have been subject to some of the highest tariffs the administration charged.

The Trump administration, however, declined to renew USMCA in its current form earlier this month.

Ford said on Saturday Ford that “Americans love Canadians” and “Canadians love Americans.” But, he added, Trump’s comments were “absolutely unacceptable.”

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has called Ford, offering Ontario assistance with the wildfires, he said. Ford said he also spoke to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, but state officials there have “their hands full.”

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CNN’s David Goldman contributed to this report.