Former U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a key infrastructure project connecting the United States and Canada. The move escalates tensions between Washington and Ottawa over a range of economic issues, and raises questions about the future of cross-border trade and cooperation.
The bridge, which links the Canadian province of Ontario with the U.S. State of Michigan, cost approximately CAD 6.4 billion (roughly $79 trillion) to construct, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
“It will not be opened until Ottawa treats the United States with the fairness and respect that we deserve,” Trump wrote on social media.
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According to the project’s website, the bridge is funded by the Canadian government but will be publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the organization developing the bridge, is wholly owned by the government of Canada.
Major construction on the 1.5-mile bridge, spanning the Detroit River, was completed and it is expected to open to traffic after a period of testing and official approvals early this year. The project has been a point of contention between the two countries for more than a decade.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed the U.S. Should own at least half of the asset, asserting that Canada intends to possess both the Canadian and U.S. Sides of the bridge.
“The Canadian government expects me, as President of the United States, to let them take advantage of America!” Trump stated.
“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them,” he added.
Trump also blamed former U.S. President Barack Obama for allowing the bridge’s construction to begin without using American steel. The Moroun family, owners of the nearby Ambassador Bridge and also connecting Detroit to Canada, had petitioned Trump during his first term to halt construction of the new bridge, arguing it violated their exclusive tolling rights.
In response, Trump and then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a joint statement calling the bridge a “vital economic link” between the two countries.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, dismissed Trump’s threat to close the bridge, stating it would be beneficial for jobs in her state.
“This project has been an outstanding example of bipartisan and international cooperation,” said Whitmer’s press secretary, Stacey LaRouche.
On Monday, Trump pointed to recent trade disputes between the two countries, saying that “the tariffs Canada imposes on our dairy products, for years, have been unacceptable.”
Trump also claimed that a trade agreement signed between Canada and China last month would “destroy Canada.”
“The first thing China will do is stop all hockey games played in Canada, and permanently remove the Stanley Cup,” Trump said.
However, Slotkin responded by saying the only reason Canada is on the verge of a trade deal with China is because Trump “has kicked them around for a year.”
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