TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump proposed on Friday, July 17, that the toll of air pollution caused by Canadian wildfires be integrated into the import tariffs levied against the country.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC) has currently recorded 888 active wildfires burning across the nation. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 3,600 wildfires have torn through Canada, scorching a total of 2.8 million hectares.
"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 on the social media platform Truth Social.
Trump views the situation as a clear case of willful negligence that has turned into an annual crisis, costing the United States billions of dollars.
"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 said.
Trump added that he would speak with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later that day to discuss what measures Ottawa intends to take to resolve the crisis.
The rapidly spreading Canadian wildfires have begun to severely impact neighboring regions. The U.S. capital of Washington, D.C., was blanketed by a dense layer of smoke on Friday morning, according to local reports.
Municipal authorities in Washington have consequently triggered a "code red" air quality alert. Children, seniors, and residents with preexisting heart or lung conditions have been strongly advised to avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities.
Air quality in Washington and neighboring areas across Maryland and Virginia had remained normal on Thursday night. However, a dense blanket of smoke rolled in to engulf the entire region just before dawn on Friday.
The unfolding environmental hazard was further compounded by a concurrent heat wave that has significantly escalated public health risks. Temperatures in the capital are projected to climb to 97 degrees Fahrenheit (roughly 36 degrees Celsius) on Friday afternoon.
In addition to the capital district, smoke drifting from the Canadian blazes has already choked the skies over New York City and Boston, while air quality indexes in Chicago are reportedly continuing to plunge.
Read: Canada Wildfires: Smoke Choking Major US Cities
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