Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke to President Donald Trump on Tuesday and reminded him that Ottawa paid to build the new Detroit-Ontario border crossing bridge.
“We discussed the bridge. I explained that Canada has paid for the construction of the bridge, over $4 billion,” Carney said. “The ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the government of Canada.”
The exchange came after Trump, in a Truth Social post Monday, said he would not allow the Canada-funded bridge to open unless the United States is “fully compensated for everything we have given them.” The president said his opposition to the bridge opening is tied to a broader list of economic and trade grievances, ranging from agricultural tariffs to retail restrictions.
Trump specifically targeted Ontario’s liquor policies, claiming the province prohibits the sale of U.S. spirits, and said Canada would need to reassess its tariffs on dairy products to treat the U.S. with “fairness and respect.”
“The Tariffs Canada charges us for our Dairy products have, for many years, been unacceptable, putting our Farmers at great financial risk,” Trump said. “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 also accused Canada of owning both ends of the new crossing and building it with “virtually no U.S. content,” a claim disputed by Carney.
“Obviously, there’s Canadian steel, Canadian workers, but also U.S. steel, U.S. workers that are involved,” Carney said. “This is a great example of cooperation between our countries.”
Carney concluded his remarks on the bridge by saying his conversation with the president was “positive.”
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to be the largest cable-stayed bridge in North America, spanning over half a mile between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. The bridge, long in the works and set to open this year, was funded primarily by the Canadian government under a 2012 agreement negotiated with Michigan. Canada will recoup its investment through toll revenue over decades, and the crossing will be jointly owned by Canada and Michigan.
The new bridge is expected to relieve trade congestion at the aging Ambassador Bridge, a key trade artery, and serve as a critical link for the massive flow of goods between the world’s two largest trading partners.
TRUMP FORBIDS CANADA FROM OPENING BRIDGE TO MICHIGAN UNTIL US ‘FULLY COMPENSATED’
Trump’s threats to block the bridge’s opening also drew sharp rebukes from leaders on both sides of the border. Windsor’s mayor called it “insane,” and Michigan lawmakers warned that halting the project would harm local jobs and commerce.
The bridge debacle comes amid a broader deterioration in U.S.-Canada relations this year. The two countries are preparing to begin a mandated review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement later in this year, and Trump has threatened Canada with 100% tariffs if it signs a trade pact with China.