Trump threatens new Canada tariffs over fires sending 'filthy' air into US cities

Trump threatens new Canada tariffs over fires sending 'filthy' air into US citiesImage source, Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty ImagesImage caption, Smoke from the massive wildfires has cast an orange haze over New York CityByNadine Yousif, Senior Canada reporter, Marco Silva, BBC Verify and Zahra FatimaPublishedUS President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada after hundreds of wildfires have left much of the northern US choked by a blanket of smoke. The threat follows complaints by US lawmakers over the wildfires and Ontario's premier Doug Ford asking the US to send support to fight the fires, rather than complain. "The United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air," Trump said, threatening to impose new levies over Canada's "willful negligence". As of Friday, there were about 888 fires actively burning in Canada, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, external - with the majority burning out of control.More than 190 of those blazes are burning in Ontario, some out of control. Trump said in his post to Truth Social that he would call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to demand an explanation over his country's "willful negligence," accusing the country of "not properly maintaining" their forests and brush. Fellow Republicans have used the issue to renew Trump's call to make Canada the 51st US state, a musing that has offended Canadians and prompted many to stop travelling to their southern neighbour in protest. Others online suggested a delay in opening the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a Canada-funded project that will connect Ontario to Michigan.Canada has not responded to Trump's tariff threat but Carney earlier noted that it was the responsibility of both countries to fight climate change. Relations between the US and Canada and been tense at times over the last year, mostly due to trade. Last year, Tru...