The White House has demanded that Canada “share authority” and ownership of a new bridge connecting the two countries after a “clear and direct” call between Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario to the US state of Michigan, will not open until Ottawa “treats the United States with the fairness and respect we deserve”, Trump wrote earlier on social media.
The bridge is funded by the Canadian government but will be publicly owned by Canada and Michigan.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday he had a “positive” conversation with Trump, reminding him that Canada paid for the bridge.
Carney said he also reminded the president that it was built by American and Canadian workers and with steel from both countries.
“It’s a great example of cooperation between our countries and I look forward to its opening,” he told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday.
He said Trump asked U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, a Michigan native, to “play a role in facilitating the conversation in and around the bridge.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House hours after the call, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump viewed Canadian ownership of land on both sides of the bridge as “unacceptable.”
“He [Trump] “We also believe that the United States should own at least half of the bridge, share authority over what crosses it, and share in the economic benefits generated by its use,” she added.
It’s unclear how Trump could block its opening, but he said in his initial message that negotiations would begin immediately, without giving further details.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was happy to hear about the Trump-Carney call, adding that he was “confident” the bridge would open as planned because it was in the best interest of both countries’ economies.
On Monday, Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin said shutting down the “incredibly important infrastructure project” would be “terrible for our state’s economy.”
The move could have “serious repercussions,” she said in an article on X: “Higher costs for Michigan businesses, less secure supply chains and, ultimately, fewer jobs.”
Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who was in office during the negotiations and the first phase of construction, described the deal as “a great deal for America” in a statement. opinion article published by the Detroit News. “The approach of blocking the bridge would primarily harm Americans,” Republican Snyder added.
The bridge, which spans the Detroit River and is named after Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, who played for the Detroit Red Wings, is expected to be open to traffic pending official testing and approvals early this year.
Construction began in 2018, but the project has been a point of contention between the countries for more than a decade.
It is estimated to cost C$6.4 billion (£3.4 billion).
The organization developing the bridge, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, is a Canadian federal crown corporation, an organization that is entirely owned by the government but operates independently.
In his Truth Social article, Trump wrote: “The Canadian government expects me, as President of the United States, to ALLOW them to simply ‘Enjoy America!’ » »
“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States has been fully compensated for everything we have given them,” he added.
He also criticized former President Barack Obama for allowing construction to begin without using American steel.
But Mayor Drew Dilkens of Windsor, Ontario, on the Canadian side of the bridge, told the CBC that the accusation was false.
“It’s just insane,” he said. “I really can’t believe what I’m reading.”
On Fox Business on Tuesday, Jamieson Greer, Trump’s trade chief, said the negotiations the president mentioned in his social media post were specific to the bridge and ensured that revenue from economic activity, such as tolls, also went to the United States.
The Moroun family — the American owners of the nearby Ambassador Bridge that also connects Detroit to Canada — called on Trump in his first term to stop construction of the new bridge, arguing that it encroached on their exclusive ability to collect tolls.
In response, Trump and then-prime minister Justin Trudeau issued a joint statement saying the bridge was a “vital economic link” between the two countries.
Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pushed back against Trump’s threat to close the bridge, saying it would be good for jobs in her state.
“This project is a tremendous example of bipartisan and international cooperation,” Whitmer press secretary Stacey LaRouche told the CBC.
Trump highlighted recent trade disputes between the two countries on Monday, saying “the tariffs that Canada has imposed on us on our dairy products have, for many years, been unacceptable.”
Trump continued: “The first thing China will do is end ALL ice hockey games in Canada and eliminate the Stanley Cup for good. »
But Slotkin hit back, saying the only reason Canada was close to a trade deal with China was because Trump “kicked them in the teeth for a year.”
Canada is our friend, not our enemy, she added, promising to work to get the project back on track.