Trump expressed his position, stating that the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which connects the province of Ontario in Canada with the state of Michigan in the US, will not be opened until Ottawa starts showing proper respect to America. "I will not give permission for the opening of this bridge until the United States receives full compensation for everything we have provided, and until Canada starts treating us with respect and fairness," he noted in his message on the social network Truth Social.
According to information on the project’s website, the funding for the bridge is being provided by the Canadian government; however, it will be jointly owned by both countries.
It is unclear how Trump intends to block the opening of the bridge. In his post, he mentioned that "negotiations will begin immediately," but did not provide further details.
The bridge over the Detroit River was expected to be ready for traffic after the completion of official tests and approvals scheduled for early 2026. Construction began in 2018, but the project has been contentious between the countries for over 10 years, as reported by the BBC.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the cost of constructing the bridge was about 6.4 billion Canadian dollars (approximately 4.7 billion US dollars).
In his message on Truth Social, Trump also emphasized that the US should own at least half of the bridge's asset.
The bridge is being constructed by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which is entirely Canadian.
"They own both sides of the bridge, and they built it mostly without American materials. Now the Canadian government expects me, as the President of the United States, to just allow them to 'take advantage of America.' What do we get in return? Absolutely nothing!" Trump added.
The Moroun family, owners of the neighboring bridge between the US and Canada, asked him to stop the construction of the new bridge during Trump's first term, claiming it violated their exclusive rights to collect tolls.
In response, Trump, along with then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, issued a statement indicating that the new bridge is a "critically important economic link" between the two countries.
On Monday, Trump also recalled recent trade disputes, mentioning that "the tariffs Canada imposes on our dairy products have been unacceptable for many years." He also warned that the trade agreement Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney intends to conclude with China "will completely consume Canada." "The first thing China will do is stop all hockey games in Canada and eliminate the Stanley Cup forever," Trump added.
