Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday to address a dispute over the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which links Ontario and Michigan.
“I spoke to the president this morning. Regarding the bridge, the situation is going to be resolved,” Carney told reporters in Ottawa, without giving further details.
Carney added, “I explained that Canada, of course, paid for the construction of the bridge; that the ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the government of Canada.”
Trump’s threats over bridge ownership
The row began after Trump suggested late Monday that the United States should own “at least half” of the bridge. He also threatened to block its opening, arguing the US had not been adequately compensated.
“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 said on social media. “We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.”
Trump’s complaints also included claims that Canada used “virtually” no US products in the bridge’s construction.
bridge background
Work on the $4.7-billion Gordie Howe Bridge began in 2018 and is expected to open this year. The six-lane bridge, named after Canadian-born hockey legend and Detroit Red Wings star Gordie Howe, was intended as a symbol of unity between Canada and the United States.
Carney stressed that the bridge construction involved both Canadian and US resources: “There’s Canadian steel, Canadian workers, but also US steel, US workers that were involved.”
White House response
The White House defended Trump’s position, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Tuesday that the president is “putting America’s interests first.”
Leavitt added, “The fact that Canada will control what crosses the Gordie Howe bridge and owns the land on both sides is unacceptable to the president.”
trade tensions
The bridge dispute is part of a broader pattern of tensions between Washington and Ottawa. In recent months, Trump threatened 100 percent tariffs on Canada following Carney’s visit to Beijing, where a preliminary trade deal with China was sealed.
Carney previously warned at the Davos forum that the US-led global system of governance was experiencing “a rupture,” a veiled reference to Trump’s disruptive policies.
Negotiations over the bridge are expected to continue. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is pending final tests and formal approvals before opening to traffic.
