President Trump just issued a major threat, stating he intends to block the opening of the massive new Canadian-built bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor unless the US is granted at least half of the asset’s ownership, as reported by Al Jazeera. The president made his demand public in a social media post, saying the move is all about ensuring Canada treats the US with the “fairness and respect we deserve.”
President Trump stated he wants “IMMEDIATELY” to start negotiations over the structure. He wrote, “I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them and, importantly, until Canada treats the United States with the fairness and respect we deserve.” He added that given “all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.”
This isn’t some small infrastructure project either; we’re talking about the $4.6 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will link Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor, Ontario, across the Detroit River. Construction crews have been busy building it since 2018, and we’re expecting it to finally open up in early 2026. Just recently, on January 30, the US Department of Homeland Security officially published a rule designating this structure as a formal port of entry.
Blocking this bridge would be absolutely terrible for North American logistics
Right now, heavy truck traffic relies heavily on the older Ambassador Bridge, and anyone who uses that route knows how slow it can get. The whole point of the Gordie Howe Bridge is to ease that painful congestion. A study from the University of Windsor found that this new crossing could shave up to 20 minutes off typical crossing times. That time savings really adds up, saving truckers an estimated $2.3 billion over the next 30 years.
It’s important to remember that Canada financed this entire Gordie Howe project. The deal itself was negotiated by former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican. Despite the Canadian financing and the existing agreement, President Trump is now demanding immediate negotiations.
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, quickly warned that cancelling the project would have serious economic consequences for the state and the entire region. She said, “Cancelling this project will have serious repercussions – higher costs for Michigan businesses, less secure supply chains and, ultimately, fewer jobs.” She’s absolutely right; this is a serious threat to economic stability.
This bridge threat isn’t happening in a vacuum; it’s just the latest move in a wider spat between the US and Canada. President Trump has been issuing several threats targeting our northern neighbor during his second term. For example, he has threatened to sharply increase tariffs on US imports from Canada.
Last month, the president even said he would impose a whopping 100 percent tariff if Canada moved forward with a trade deal with China. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney actually traveled to China in January to reset strained bilateral ties, successfully reaching a trade agreement with the nation that is Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the US.
We also can’t forget the aircraft issue. President Trump threatened 50 percent tariffs on all Canadian-made aircraft unless Ottawa certified several planes produced by US rival Gulfstream. He also mentioned in January that the US could decertify Bombardier Global Express business jets. While the administration hasn’t taken action against those Canadian aircraft yet, these threats show a very clear pattern of increasing pressure.
Published: Feb 10, 2026 02:30 pm