The Gordie Howe International Bridge under construction to link Detroit and Windsor in a drone image taken from Windsor, Ont., on Tuesday.Dax Melmer/Reuters
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had a positive conversation with Donald Trump Tuesday and played down tensions over the Gordie Howe International Bridge, one day after the U.S. President threatened to block its opening unless Canada meets a list of demands.
Mr. Trump outlined his position Monday evening in a Truth Social post, saying that the United States should own “at least one half of this asset.”
The $6.4-billion bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit was fully funded by the Canadian government – after the U.S. failed to contribute financially to the project – with plans to recoup costs over time through tolls. It began construction in 2018 and is expected to open early this year.
Trump threatens to block opening of Gordie Howe International Bridge
The long-awaited bridge, meant to speed up travel times and allow for more trade across the international border, was originally supposed to be funded by both countries. But opposition from the family of the late Michigan billionaire Manuel Moroun, which owns the nearby Ambassador toll bridge, tied up attempts to approve funding in the Michigan legislature.
In 2012, the Canadian government agreed to pay the full cost of building the bridge to avoid further delays, while still making Michigan its joint owner. Toll revenue collected on the bridge will be used to pay back Ottawa.
Reuters
The New York Times, citing unnamed government officials, said Mr. Moroun’s son, Matthew Moroun, lobbied Mr. Trump’s Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, on Monday. Mr. Trump wrote his Truth Social post a few hours later, after Mr. Lutnick briefed him on the meeting with Mr. Moroun. The Moroun family has long opposed the publicly owned Gordie Howe bridge because it would compete with their privately owned bridge.
On his way to a Tuesday cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill, Mr. Carney said he had spoken with the President earlier that morning and added that he expects the situation will be resolved.
“We discussed the bridge. I explained that Canada, of course, paid for the construction of the bridge,” he said.
He also said he pointed out that the bridge’s ownership is shared between the State of Michigan and the Canadian government, and that the construction involved Canadian and American workers and used steel sourced from both countries.
“This is a great example of co-operation between our countries. I look forward to it opening. And what is particularly important, of course, is the commerce and the tourism and the voyages of Canadians and Americans that will go across that bridge,” he said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he spoke to Donald Trump following threats the U.S. President made to prevent the new Gordie Howe International Bridge between Ontario and Michigan from opening.
The Canadian Press
Mr. Carney said he and Mr. Trump then discussed “a series of issues” that would run in parallel to negotiations aimed at extending the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, or USMCA.
According to the Prime Minister, Mr. Trump requested that U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, who is from Michigan, should “play a role in smoothing the conversation in and around the bridge.”
The U.S. embassy in Ottawa declined a request for comment on the ambassador’s role.
Mr. Carney summarized the phone call as a positive conversation.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was happy to hear that Mr. Carney spoke to the U.S. President, and that he’s very confident the Gordie Howe bridge is going to open.
“I’ll tell you the reason why it’s going to open: because it’s in the best interest of the American economy,” Mr. Ford told reporters at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, adding that the bridge is also important for Republicans facing midterm elections.
The Premier said it was Mr. Trump who previously endorsed the bridge’s construction during his first term. “All of a sudden, he changed his mind and said it’s not good?” he said.
Mr. Ford also addressed Mr. Trump’s criticisms of Ontario’s decision to direct the LCBO to remove all U.S. alcohol products from shelves after Washington imposed tariffs on Canadian goods such as steel, aluminum and autos.
The Premier said he will not be backing down on the alcohol ban, adding he will “double down” if necessary.
“It’s obviously working. It’s an irritant,” Mr. Ford said. “Let’s not buckle to President Trump’s threats. Let’s be strong, as we have been. Let’s continue to be strong, negotiate from strength, not weakness.”
He added that Mr. Trump should realize if he doesn’t change course on tariffs, “the midterms aren’t going to turn out too well for him.”
After Mr. Trump’s post, Michigan Democratic members of Congress pointed out that the bridge will economically benefit the U.S., despite Canada having paid the entire cost.
Opinion: Trump’s bridge threat heralds pain and turmoil for USMCA talks
“The Gordie Howe Bridge was built by union workers on both sides of the border. This border is the busiest crossing between our two countries, and has been critical for not only Michigan jobs but also American jobs,” Representative Debbie Dingell wrote on X. “I look forward to the ribbon-cutting.”
Ms. Dingell pointed out that in 2017, Mr. Trump referred to the bridge as a “vital economic link between our two countries.” She argued that it “hurts our economy” when the President threatens to shut down major infrastructure projects.
Senator Elissa Slotkin warned that Mr. Trump is “punishing Michiganders for a trade war he started.”
“Cancelling this project will have serious repercussions. Higher costs for Michigan businesses, less secure supply chains, and ultimately, fewer jobs,” she said in a statement. “The President’s agenda for personal retribution should not come before what’s best for us. Canada is our friend – not our enemy.”
She also contended that Mr. Trump’s bellicose behaviour had triggered Canada’s rapprochement with China, which Mr. Trump also criticized in his Truth Social post.
At the White House on Tuesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Mr. Trump and Mr. Carney had spoken earlier in the day, but did not answer directly when asked why the President had apparently changed his mind on the bridge.
Ms. Leavitt said Mr. Trump is demanding that the U.S. “own at least half of the bridge” and “have shared authority over what passes across.”
Both of these conditions have already been fulfilled. The State of Michigan has such an ownership stake, and both Canada and the U.S. will have customs plazas on their respective sides of the bridge, as they do at all border crossings, to control what comes into each country.
With a report from Emily Haws