President Donald Trump is threatening to block the opening of a major new U.S.-Canada border crossing unless Canada agrees to major trade concessions.
“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,” Trump said in a social media post on Monday.
While Trump did not mention the bridge by name, he appears to refer to the Gordie Howe International Bridge, saying the U.S. should own at least half of it. He accused Canada of unfair trade practices and criticized former President Barack Obama, whom he says “gave them a waiver so they could get around the BUY AMERICAN Act.”
In his post on Truth Social, the president said Canada must treat the U.S. with “fairness and respect” and called for immediate negotiations, adding the U.S. should own “perhaps” at least half of the crossing.
The Gordie Howe Bridge project
The six-lane bridge is designed to relieve congestion at the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel, two of the busiest trade routes between the U.S. and Canada.
Canada financed the entire project and plans to recoup the cost through tolls. It is estimated to cost between $5 and 6 billion.
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Construction began in 2018, and most of it is now complete. The bridge is set to open early this year, but an exact date has not been set.
Michigan Democrats and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office are pushing back, calling the project a “huge boon” for the state’s economy and a critical link for auto manufacturing and cross-border commerce.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., told the Associated Press that with the new bridge, “You’ll be able to move cargo from Montreal to Miami without ever stopping at a street light.”
Whitmer’s office told AP that while Canada is funding the project, it will operate under a joint leadership agreement between Michigan and Canada.
