Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, until the United States is "fully compensated" for its dealings with Canada. In a lengthy social media post, the US president said he would not allow the bridge to open unless Canada treats the US with "fairness and respect".
The $4.6bn bridge, built by a binational partnership, was approved under Barack Obama but construction began in 2018 during Mr Trump's first term. Mr Trump blamed his predecessor for "stupidly" approving the project, despite having endorsed it himself in a 2017 joint statement with Canada's then prime minister, Justin Trudeau, in which they welcomed its "expeditious completion".
Mr Trump's ire appears to be linked to Canada's closer trading relationship with China, negotiated by Prime Minister Mark Carney after US tariffs were raised. He claimed China would "eat Canada alive" and, in a remark with no apparent factual basis, asserted that China would "terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup".
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, criticised the threat, saying cancelling the project would have "serious repercussions", including higher costs for businesses and less secure supply chains. She accused Mr Trump of "punishing Michiganders for a trade war he started", noting that Canada had turned to China only after being "kicked in the teeth" by the president.
The Canadian embassy in Washington, Michigan's governor Gretchen Whitmer, and the bridge authority did not immediately comment. Democrats are preparing to force a vote in the US House this week on Mr Trump's tariffs, while the president has previously threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if Ottawa follows through on a trade deal with China.
