JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump has proposed that the cost of air pollution from forest fires in Canada be included in the import tariffs imposed on the country.
To date, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC) has recorded 888 active forest fire points in the country. Meanwhile, since the beginning of 2026, more than 3,600 forest fires have occurred in Canada, with an area of 2.8 million hectares burned.
"We ask Canada to be responsible because they do not take care of their forests and bushes properly. As a result, the United States is constantly hit by dirty, polluted, and unhealthy air, with dangerous and completely unacceptable quality," Trump wrote through the social media platform Truth Social as reported by ANTARA from Sputnik, Saturday, July 18.
Trump assessed that the condition was a form of deliberate negligence and had become an annual event that had cost the United States billions of US dollars.
"This is a deliberate negligence and has become an annual event that costs the United States billions of US dollars. The cost of this pollution should be added to the tariffs currently paid by Canada," he said.
Trump also said he would speak with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney the same day to discuss the steps the Canadian government would take to address the issue.
Massive forest and land fires in Canada have reportedly affected neighboring countries. The capital of the United States, Washington D.C., was covered in thick smog on Friday morning, as reported by RIA Novosti's correspondent.
The Washington City Government has announced an "red" air quality warning. Children, the elderly, and residents with a history of heart or lung disease are urged to avoid long or heavy physical activity outdoors.
Air conditions in Washington and surrounding areas, such as Maryland and Virginia, on Thursday night were still normal. However, thick smog began to envelop the area before dawn on Friday.
The situation is exacerbated by a heat wave that increases health risks. The air temperature in Washington is expected to reach 97 degrees Fahrenheit (about 36 degrees Celsius) on Friday.
In addition to Washington, the smoke from the Canadian forest fires had previously covered the skies of New York and Boston, while the air quality in Chicago was reported to continue to deteriorate.
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