The US president has demanded possession of “not less than half” of the crossing between Ontario and Michigan
US President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of a serious new bridge linking Canada and the US except Washington receives compensation and a partial possession stake within the mission.
In a prolonged submit on his Fact Social platform on Monday, Trump stated he wouldn’t enable the Gordie Howe Worldwide Bridge – connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan – to open till the US is “totally compensated” and Canada treats its neighbor with what he described as “equity and respect.”
“With all that we’ve given them, we must always personal, maybe, not less than one half of this asset. The revenues generated due to the US market can be astronomical,” he wrote.
Trump accused Canada of benefiting disproportionately from the mission, claiming it was constructed with “nearly no US content material” and alleging {that a} waiver issued below former President Barack Obama allowed Canada to bypass ‘Purchase American’ necessities. He additionally repeated longstanding grievances over Canadian dairy tariffs, provincial restrictions on US alcohol gross sales, and Ottawa’s current outreach to China.
The new six-lane crossing is anticipated to open early this 12 months following closing testing and inspections, and can change into one of many busiest commerce hyperlinks between the 2 nations. The bridge, which started building in 2018, is projected to price about $6.4 billion, up from an unique estimate of $5.7 billion.
In accordance to the Canadian authorities, the bridge has been totally funded by Ottawa however can be publicly owned by Canada and the state of Michigan. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens stated components of the US president’s submit have been “simply insane,” insisting that US metal was used on the Michigan facet of the mission.
Trump endorsed the bridge throughout his first time period, calling it a “very important financial hyperlink,” regardless of lobbying from the homeowners of the Ambassador Bridge, who’ve lengthy opposed the mission.
The brand new risk comes amid broader strains in US-Canada relations. In current weeks, Trump has additionally warned of steep tariffs on Canadian-made plane and advised punitive measures if Ottawa deepens commerce ties with Beijing.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has rejected claims that Canada is pursuing a free-trade cope with China and has urged Washington to respect Canadian sovereignty.
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