Trump Threatens to Block Canada-Funded Gordie Howe Bridge, Demands US Compensation and Ownership

US President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of a major new Canada-funded border crossing between Ontario and Michigan, accusing Ottawa of unfair trade practices and demanding that Washington receive compensation and at least partial ownership of the project.

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump lashed out at Canada for what he described as decades of unfair treatment of the United States.

Trump singled out the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a six-lane structure spanning the Detroit River and designed to link Interstate 75 in Michigan with Ontario’s Highway 401.

The bridge is intended to ease congestion at existing Detroit-Windsor crossings and boost trade between the two neighbouring economies.

“Imagine, Canada is building a massive bridge between Ontario and Michigan. They own both the Canada and the United States side and, of course, built it with virtually no U.S. content,” Trump said, adding that he would not allow the bridge to open until the United States was “fully compensated for everything we have given them.”

“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote. “With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset. The revenues generated because of the U.S. Market will be astronomical.”

Trump Blames Obama

The US President also criticised former president Barack Obama, referring to him as “Barack Hussein Obama,” and alleging that his administration had allowed Canada to bypass American procurement rules.

“President Barack Hussein Obama stupidly gave them a waiver so they could get around the BUY AMERICAN Act, and not use any American products, including our Steel,” Trump wrote.

Trump raised a series of long-standing trade disputes between the two countries, including Canada’s dairy tariffs, which he said had “for many years been unacceptable” and had put US farmers “at great financial risk.”

He also complained about provincial liquor regulations in Ontario. “Ontario won't even put U.S. spirits, beverages, and other alcoholic products, on their shelves, they are absolutely prohibited from doing so,” he said.

Turning to geopolitics, Trump warned against Canada’s engagement with China and accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of seeking closer economic ties with Beijing.

Trump Warns Canada Against China Ties

“Prime Minister Carney wants to make a deal with China – which will eat Canada alive. We'll just get the leftovers! I don't think so,” he wrote.

“The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup,” he added.

Trump’s comments came amid rising trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa during his second term, as the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is due for review later this year.

He has previously threatened to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian goods if Ottawa were to pursue a full trade deal with China.

Carney has pushed back on those claims, repeatedly stating that Canada has no intention of signing a free trade agreement with China and that recent engagements with Beijing were limited in scope.

Canada “Gets a Lot of Freebies”: Trump

The US President’s latest remarks follow earlier criticism of Canada at the World Economic Forum’s 56th Annual Summit in Davos last month.

Speaking there, Trump said Canada “gets a lot of freebies from us” and suggested it was insufficiently appreciative of Washington’s support.

“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way. They should also be grateful, but they're not. I saw your Prime Minister yesterday; he wasn't so grateful. They should be grateful to us,” Trump said.

He also claimed that his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence system would protect Canada, adding, “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

Those comments were aimed at Carney, who in his Davos address warned that the world was entering “an era of great power rivalry, where the rules-based order is fading,” and criticised tariff coercion in what was widely seen as a veiled reference to Washington’s policies, including its use of economic pressure in efforts related to Greenland.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge was first negotiated in 2012, when Michigan’s then governor Rick Snyder accepted an offer from the Canadian government to cover most of the project’s cost.

Snyder used his executive powers to bypass the state legislature, an unusual move at the time. Construction began in 2018 after years of delays, and the bridge is now nearing completion, with an expected opening in early 2026.

According to a University of Windsor study, the new crossing is expected to cut 20 minutes off travel times and save truckers an estimated $2.3 billion over the next 30 years.

Michigan leaders push back as Trump threat draws criticism

The Associated Press reported that Trump’s social media broadside drew sharp pushback from Michigan lawmakers.

Senator Elissa Slotkin called the bridge a “huge boon” for the state, saying it would allow freight to move from Montreal to Miami without stopping at traffic lights.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office said the bridge would operate under joint US-Canadian oversight and insisted it would open “one way or another.”

(With inputs from ANI)