Trade tensions rise as Trump moves to halt opening of Canada–US Bridge

Former United States President Donald Trump has threatened to halt the opening of a new international bridge linking the United States and Canada, escalating tensions with Ottawa in a fresh round of trade and diplomatic rhetoric.

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, said the United States should own “at least half” of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, currently under construction between Ontario, Canada, and Michigan, United States.

The $4.7 billion bridge, named after late Canadian-born National Hockey League legend Gordie Howe, began construction in 2018 and is scheduled to open later this year.

“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them,” Trump wrote, adding that Canada must treat the United States with “fairness and respect.”

He further claimed that Canada owns both sides of the bridge and alleged that “virtually no” American products were used in its construction.

However, a factsheet from the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority states that the project was fully financed by Canada and will be jointly owned by the Canadian government and the US state of Michigan.

Trump also accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of pursuing closer ties with China, warning that such engagement would be detrimental to Canada.

“And now, on top of everything else, Prime Minister Carney wants to make a deal with China — which will eat Canada alive,” Trump said.

The comments come amid heightened trade tensions following Washington’s threat to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian goods after Carney’s visit to Beijing last month, where a preliminary trade agreement with China was reached.

Trump, who returned to office in January 2025, has repeatedly clashed with Canada over trade policies and previously suggested that the country should be annexed by the United States, a claim he has largely dropped in recent months.

Meanwhile, Carney had warned at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month that the US-led global governance system is facing “a rupture,” a remark widely interpreted as a response to Trump’s disruptive foreign and trade policies.