President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of a $4.7 billion bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan, to Windsor, Ontario, in the latest display of frayed relations between the U.S. and Canada.
In a lengthy social media post, Trump raised a number of issues against his northern neighbor and doubled down on his often-cited claim that Canada has âtreated the United States very unfairly for decades.â
The President claimed that Canada will own both sides of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, for which construction began in 2018 and is nearing completion, and complained that the infrastructure has been built with âvirtually no U.S. content.â
After accusing Ontario of refusing to stock some U.S.-produced alcoholic products in shops and complaining about Canada’s tariffs on dairy products, Trump declared he will ânot allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensatedâ for everything it has âgivenâ to Canada.
âWe will start negotiations immediately,â he warned. âWith all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.â
The Canada-Michigan Crossing Agreement, signed in June 2012, states that the Canadian government will pay for the bridge, and use toll fundsâcollected over 30 yearsâas reimbursement.
The agreement also stipulates that the bridge, named after prolific Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe, will be publicly owned by the governments of Canada and Michigan, and all iron and steel used in construction will be sourced from either the U.S. or Canada. The offer from the Canadian government to cover most of the costs was accepted by Michigan’s then-Gov. Rick Snyder.
All seemed to be going well in February 2017, when Trump and then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a joint statement, celebrating the project and calling the crossing âa vital economic link between our two countries.â
More recently, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a rule on Jan. 30, declaring the bridge will serve as an official port of entry. It said the crossing will save $12.7 million annually for travelers, in part by reducing congestion.
Trumpâs new threat to suspend the bridgeâs opening has prompted criticism among Canadian officials.
âItâs just insane. When I read that post, I really can’t believe what I’m reading,â Mayor of Windsor Drew Dilkens told CBC, adding that the bridge should create an opportunity âwhere a Prime Minister would meet a President in the middle, they would shake hands, and they would celebrate this victory for two nations. Unfortunately, Donald Trump has created an environment where I don’t think that is going to happen in the near term.â
Trumpâs frustration over the bridge marks the latest tension between the President and Canada.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Trump told attendees that Canada âlives because of the United States.â In a filmed address from QuĂ©bec City, Carney responded to the claim, firmly stating: âCanada does not live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian.â
Trump had lashed out at Canada after taking umbrage at Carney’s own Davos speech, during which he boldly stated that the old world order is ânot coming back.â He encouraged people not to âmournâ the way things used to be and advised that ânostalgia is not a strategy.â Carney urged middle powers to stand up for themselves, accusing âgreat powersâ of using economic pressure to yield results.
While he did not name the U.S. or its President, Carney’s speech came in the midst of Trump attempting to acquire Greenland and after long-repeated threats to annex Canada and make it the â51st state.â
Carney has since explored alternative trade alliances and avenues for Canada. After traveling to Beijing last month to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he announced that Canada and China had forged a ânew strategic partnershipâ focused on âenergy, agri-food, and trade.â
Trump lashed out at the alliance while threatening the opening of the bridge, claiming China âwill eat Canada alive,â leaving the U.S. with âthe leftovers.â In a nod to the bridge’s namesake, he went on to predict that China will âterminate all ice hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.â
