Trump's USA Canada-USA relations

Trump threatens to block bridge between Canada and the USA

The USA will block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Ontario, Canada and Michigan, USA, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social last night.

Trump believes that Canada has treated the USA "very unfairly" for decades. He claims that American goods are barely sold in Ontario and he remains upset about the neighboring country's new trade agreement with China, which according to Trump will "eat Canada alive".

"The first thing China will do is stop ALL ice hockey played in Canada and permanently abolish the Stanley Cup", Trump believes.

The plan is for the bridge to open at the beginning of the year, writes the New York Times. Canada has paid for the bridge and according to an agreement, Michigan has a share of ownership. It is therefore unclear how Trump will proceed to stop the bridge, but one possible solution could be to declare a national emergency. 

Politicians in border cities sigh: "It was a matter of time"

Donald Trump's threat to stop the opening of the "Gordie Howe International Bridge" between Windsor in Canadian Ontario and Detroit in American Michigan is making politicians in both border cities frown.

- It was only a matter of time, says Brian Masse, who was a member of parliament for Windsor for over 20 years and has been pushing for the bridge since 1998, to CTV News.

Masse is demanding a strong Canadian response to Trump's threat. At the same time, he is critical of the government in Ottawa. If the bridge had only been completed in November 2024 as planned, the problem would have been avoided, he notes.

Several top politicians in Michigan are also upset, writes the Windsor Star. On X, Democratic Senator Gary Peters and House of Representatives Debbie Dingell write that the border crossing is one of the busiest for trade in the entire United States.

Trump's threat undermines Michigan, believes Gary Peters.

"We have wanted this bridge for years because it will be a boon to our economy," he writes on X.