President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a new bridge built connecting Michigan to Ontario, Canada, escalating tensions with America’s northern neighbor and injecting new uncertainty into one of the largest cross-border infrastructure projects in North America.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would prevent the bridge from opening unless the United States receives what he described as overdue compensation and a shift in Canada’s treatment of its southern neighbor.
“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 wrote.
He added, “We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.”
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a six-lane span over the Detroit River linking Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor, Ontario. Construction began in 2018 on the roughly $4.7 billion project, which is financed by the Canadian government and jointly owned by Canada and the state of Michigan under a 2012 bilateral agreement. The bridge, named for Detroit Red Wing legend Gordie Howe, is intended to ease congestion at existing crossings and strengthen one of the busiest trade corridors between the two countries.
The bridge is nearing completion and is scheduled to open early this year following final testing and preparations. It has already been designated a U.S. port of entry.
Trump’s warning comes as U.S.–Canada relations have grown increasingly strained. The president has repeatedly accused Canada of engaging in unfair trade practices and has floated tariffs and other punitive measures in recent months. The bridge dispute follows earlier threats to impose steep duties on Canadian goods and to exclude Canada from certain international initiatives.
Canadian and U.S. officials reacted sharply to the remarks. Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said blocking border infrastructure would be economically damaging.
“The path forward isn’t deconstructing established trade corridors, it’s actually building bridges,” she said in a statement shared with media outlets.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens described the proposal as “insane,” noting that U.S. steel was used in the Michigan-side construction. “I really can’t believe what I’m reading,” Dilkens told CBC. “The faster we can get to the midterms and hopefully see a change, the better for all of us.”
How the administration could legally delay or block the opening remains unclear, given the project’s ownership structure, financing, and prior approvals. As of early Tuesday, neither the Canadian government, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, nor the White House had responded to inquiries.
