US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to halt the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a major infrastructure project linking the United States and Canada, in the latest escalation of tensions with Ottawa.
Trump said the United States should own “at least half” of the bridge, which connects Ontario in Canada with Michigan in the United States, and warned that he would not allow it to open until Washington is “fully compensated” and Canada treats the US with “fairness and respect.”
“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 on his Truth Social platform, adding that negotiations would begin “IMMEDIATELY.”
The $4.7 billion bridge, named after Canadian-born National Hockey League legend Gordie Howe, began construction in 2018 and is scheduled to open later this year. Trump complained that Canada owns both sides of the bridge and claimed that “virtually” no US products were used in its construction.
In another sharp criticism, the 79-year-old Republican president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of pursuing closer ties with China, warning that Beijing would dominate Canada’s economy.
“And now, on top of everything else, Prime Minister Carney wants to make a deal with China — which will eat Canada alive. We’ll just get the leftovers! I don’t think so,” Trump wrote.
The remarks come as Washington has threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Canada following Carney’s recent visit to Beijing, where he signed a preliminary trade agreement with China. Trump also repeated a controversial and exaggerated claim that China could “terminate all ice hockey being played in Canada.”
Trump has been at odds with Canada on trade and foreign policy since returning to office in January 2025. He previously floated the idea of annexing Canada as the 51st US state, though he has largely toned down that rhetoric in recent months.
Prime Minister Carney, meanwhile, warned at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month that the US-led global governance system was facing a “rupture,” arguing that mid-level powers should cooperate more closely in response to Washington’s disruptive policies.