President Donald Trump said on February 9 that the United States should seek partial ownership of the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, citing longstanding trade disputes with Canada.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized Canada’s trade policies and the structure of the bridge agreement, writing that the United States should “own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.”
“Canada is building a massive bridge between Ontario and Michigan,” Trump wrote. “They own both the Canada and the United States side and, of course, built it with virtually no U.S. content. President Barack Hussein Obama stupidly gave them a waiver so they could get around the BUY AMERICAN Act, and not use any American products, including our Steel.”
Trump added that he would not permit the bridge to open until the United States is “fully compensated for everything we have given them,” and that negotiations would begin “IMMEDIATELY.”
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a publicly funded infrastructure project overseen by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, a Canadian Crown corporation. The bridge is designed to ease congestion at the Ambassador Bridge and facilitate cross-border trade between Michigan and Ontario.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s USA Trade Online portal, billions of dollars in goods move annually between the United States and Canada, making Canada one of America’s largest trading partners.
Trump’s post also referenced Canada’s dairy tariffs, which he described as “unacceptable,” stating that the tariffs have placed American farmers “at great financial risk.”
“The Tariffs Canada charges us for our Dairy products have, for many years, been unacceptable,” Trump wrote.
Canada maintains a supply management system for dairy that includes tariff rate quotas on certain imported products. Trump also criticized Ontario’s alcohol retail policies and raised concerns about potential Canadian trade agreements with China.
“Prime Minister Carney wants to make a deal with China — which will eat Canada alive,” Trump wrote.
It is not immediately clear whether formal negotiations regarding bridge ownership have begun. As of press time, the office of Canadian Prime Minister Carney had not publicly responded to Trump’s remarks.
The bridge project has been under development for several years and is expected to play a significant role in North American supply chains once operational.
