Washington — President Donald Trump threatened Monday to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, escalating a trade dispute with Canada and raising questions about the future of cross-border infrastructure projects. The move signals a deepening rift between the two countries over economic policy.
Bridge Opening in Doubt Amidst Trade Tensions
The president’s threat comes as Canada strengthens ties with China, prompting concerns in Washington.
- Trump alleges Canada hasn’t “compensated” the U.S. and demands “fairness and respect.”
- The Gordie Howe Bridge, a $4 billion project, is jointly funded by Canada and Michigan.
- Trump’s claims about Canadian content in the bridge’s construction are inaccurate.
- The dispute coincides with Canada’s growing strategic partnership with China.
What is the status of the Gordie Howe International Bridge? Major construction on the 1.5-mile bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is complete and it’s expected to open this year following a period of testing. Trump, in a post on Truth Social Monday, said he would “not allow” the opening until his demands are met.
“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve. We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote. It remains unclear how the president intends to block the bridge’s opening.
The president’s claims about the bridge’s financing and construction are demonstrably false. The more than $4 billion bridge, named for the famed Canadian hockey player Gordie Howe, is being fully funded, built, operated, and maintained by Ottawa, but will be jointly owned by the Canadian government and the state of Michigan, according to a 2012 agreement outlining the terms of the project.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told a CNN newsgathering partner, CBC News, that US steel was used in the construction of the bridge on the Michigan side of the river. “It’s just insane,” Dilkens said, responding to Trump’s statement Monday. “I really can’t believe what I’m reading.”
Monday’s comments are the latest in a series of attacks by Trump against Canada, which intensified after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech at Davos encouraging middle powers to unite against global superpowers, including the US.
At the end of January, Trump said he would decertify all aircraft manufactured in Canada and threatened a 50% tariff on Canadian-made planes. He has also threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all Canadian goods if Canada pursues a trade deal with China, claiming it “will eat Canada alive” in his Monday Truth Social post.
Last month, Carney met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, and the two nations forged a “new strategic partnership.” Canada is easing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, allowing up to 49,000 annually into its market. China is expected to reduce tariff barriers on Canadian canola seed, lobster, and peas later this year.
The escalating tensions come ahead of this year’s scheduled review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trade deal Trump negotiated to replace the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA).
In his Monday post, Trump also complained that Ontario—Canada’s most populous province— “won’t even put U.S. spirits, beverages, and other alcoholic products, on their shelves.” Ontario, like other Canadian provinces, removed American alcohol from provincial liquor stores last year in response to US tariffs on Canadian goods.
Trump previously praised the bridge’s value to the US. A 2017 joint statement with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the Gordie Howe bridge “a vital economic link between the two countries.”
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, said canceling the project would have “serious repercussions” for the state’s economy. “The President is punishing Michiganders for a trade war he started,” Slotkin said in a post to X Monday. “Canada is our friend — not our enemy.”
