US President Donald Trump has now added the issue of forest fires to his tariff campaign against Canada. Trump has alleged that Canada is not taking proper care of its forests, due to which the smoke from the fires there is reaching many states of America. He said that Canada will have to pay the cost of the damage caused to America due to this pollution and it will be added to the already imposed tariff.
Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that Canada is not cleaning and maintaining its forests and bushes properly. For this reason, dirty, polluted and health-hazardous air is spreading in America. He said that this air is harmful for people and it cannot be accepted at all.
Trump will talk to Canadian PM
Trump said that he will talk to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on this issue. He said that he wants to know what steps the Canadian government is taking to stop forest fires. According to Trump, the economic loss caused to America by this smoke is unimaginable. He also accused Canada of deliberate negligence. Trump says that the same problem is repeated every year and American citizens have to bear its burden. Therefore, the cost of this pollution will also be added to the tariff already imposed on goods coming from Canada.
850 forest fires in Canada
This statement of Trump has come at a time when about 850 forests are on fire in Canada. More than 180 of these fires are burning in Ontario province alone. According to the American space agency NASA, the smoke rising from these fires has spread over large parts of North America.
Due to this smoke, air quality alert has been issued in more than 20 states of America. In many areas from the Upper Midwest to the North-Eastern states, people have been advised to go out less and not do much physical activity. The reason is that the very fine polluted particles present in the air have reached levels unsafe for health.
However, the problem of fire is not limited to Canada only. In America too, more than 150 forests are on fire, which includes many areas of Michigan. Experts say that prolonged drought and record breaking heat in many parts of North America are the biggest reasons for the rapid spread of forest fires.
How will the extra tariff be implemented?
Although Trump has threatened to impose additional tariffs on Canada, he did not specify under which law this would be done. Tariffs are generally imposed on imported goods, while there is no explicit legal provision for imposing tariffs on smoke or air pollution spread across the border. Therefore, it is not clear how Trump will implement his proposal in practice.
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