Trump Threatens Canada With Tariffs Over Wildfire Smoke

Trump Threatens Canada With Tariffs Over Wildfire Smoke

Last week I noted that wildfires in Canada were triggering air quality alerts in the U.S., especially the Midwest and Northeast.

It appears that many Americans will be continuing to enjoy the aroma of burning wood for the next few weeks.

More episodes of wildfire smoke are in the offing for parts of Canada and the midwestern and northeastern United States, as the weather pattern in the coming weeks does little to extinguish the ongoing flames.

“Some sporadic rain is in the forecast for western Ontario, which is the prime source of wildfire smoke entering the U.S. in recent weeks,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Reneé Duff said. “The next chance for any meaningful rain will be this weekend, with some light rain possible late this week that will probably not be much help.” The rain this weekend could be produced mostly by thunderstorms.

Drought and lightning are the main natural causes of wildfires.

…The main driver of smoke from their origin points in western Ontario to the Midwest and Northeast is the prevailing jet stream dip over the eastern part of North America. Steering winds from the northwest will scoop up the smoke and whisk it southeastward.

Large amounts of wildfire smoke are moving from the northwestern US into western Canada this evening!

What should we do?

Try to stop it at the border? Should we tariff it? Should we sue? pic.twitter.com/5RVFmF3Qi6

— Kyle Brittain (@BadWeatherKyle) July 18, 2026

Meanwhile, during an announcement about new tariffs on Canadian products, President Donald Trump blamed Canada for the smoke and threatened further tariffs for the seeming lack of response to containing the wildfires.

President Donald Trump took executive action on July 20 to impose a new 50% tariff on a wide range of imports from Canada in retaliation for what his administration called “discriminatory” Canadian trade practices in certain industries against the United States, according to administration officials.

The move, which risks further escalating a trade war between Canada and the United States, comes after Trump threatened tariffs against the country in response to smoke that entered the United States from raging wildfires in Canada. An administration official said Trump is exploring other unspecified tariff options for the wildfire response, however.

The sweeping tariffs, which go into effect Aug. 19, apply to a range of Canadian imports ‒ from wine and dairy to hockey sticks and cement, an official said ‒ but do not extend to energy, potash, fish and critical minerals, among other exemptions. All other Canadian exports, including those singled out as tariff-free in the United States-Canada-Mexico agreement signed in 2019, are subject to the tariff.

For too long Canada has unfairly targeted American alcohol, dairy and vehicles.

As a result of my CANADA Act, President Trump just gave Canada 30 days to end their discrimination of U.S. goods or face 50% tariffs.

This stands up for American workers, farmers, viticulturists,… pic.twitter.com/1Q1nvZWNTr

— Rep. Claudia Tenney (@RepTenney) July 21, 2026

Looking back, it is interesting to note that there have been Canadian wildfire disasters over the past 200 years, well before the invention of the automobile. These blazes include the Great Miramichi fire of 1825 in New Brunswick, which burned a vast area and became one of the deadliest wildfires in North American history.

In 1870, the capital city of Ottawa would have been incinerated had it not been for the local fire department ordering the gates of the dam to be breached so that it would flood city streets.

As the fire approached the city, the Ottawa Fire Department ordered the St Louis dam on the Rideau Canal system (roughly at Dow’s Lake) to be breached. A torrent of water up to 300 yards wide coursed its way down today’s Preston Street to the Ottawa River. This water barrier combined with a subsidence of the winds effectively halted the advancing flames saving Ottawa from catastrophe.

Though the worst was over, the Great Fire of 1870 continued to smoulder for several weeks until autumn rains finally put it out. The fire burned an area stretching from the Rideau Lakes in the south, to as far north as Wakefield in Quebec, an area of several hundred square miles. Approximately 20 people died. Thousands were left homeless.

Hi Letitia,

I am a meteorologist. Maybe I can be of some help here.

The wildfire smoke we have seen recently blanketing the skies across the central / eastern U.S. came from Canada. I attached an animation below on the left for your viewing pleasure.

Suing the Trump EPA is… https://t.co/JJXu6Q5SX5 pic.twitter.com/rkIdL4pLvq

— Chris Martz (@ChrisMartzWX) July 21, 2026

It must be noted, in fairness, that the U.S. has its share of wildfires. As of today, 72 large wildfires are burning, and lightning is a contributing factor in their start.

So far this year, 41,236 fires have burned nearly 3.9 million acres across the United States. The Northwest Geographic Area continues to be the busiest region of the country, with 34 large fires and 14 complex incident management teams committed (most of whom are managing more than one fire). Meanwhile, there has been heavy lightning activity in recent days in the Four Corners States, the southern Great Basin, and the Midwest. While various areas of the country are receiving precipitation, it is all accompanied by lightning.

Looking at the national-level fire response, the U.S. has a highly centralized coordination and mobilization system through the National Interagency Fire Center, which can quickly move resources across states when needed. The country also has interagency systems and caches that support rapid deployment and common operating procedures across agencies.

In Canada, wildland fire management is mostly handled by provincial and territorial agencies, so response is more decentralized and can vary by jurisdiction. Canada also explicitly uses a broader fire-management approach that includes allowing some fires to burn under lower-priority conditions, not just immediate suppression everywhere.

Taken together, this information suggests that a more constructive approach to smoke management would emphasize coordination rather than escalation. Summers will always be hot, with the occasional lightning storm.  Both countries should plan accordingly.

The most diplomatic step Trump could take would be to offer U.S. support and expertise to help Canada strengthen its wildfire response capacity. Framing the issue as a shared challenge would likely yield more effective results and help curb the new summer smoke cycles currently experienced by Americans in the Midwest and Northeast.

[Featured image via YouTube]

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