The $4.6 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge is scheduled to open in early 2026.
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Published February 10, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of a new Canadian-built bridge across the Detroit River connecting Canada and the United States, demanding that Canada transfer at least half of its ownership and meet other unspecified conditions.
“I will not allow this bridge to open until America is fully compensated for everything we have given, and importantly, until Canada treats America with the fairness and respect we deserve,” President Trump said in a social media post Monday.
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“We will start negotiations immediately. With everything we gave them, we will probably own at least half of this asset,” he said.
President Trump included an image of the new $4.6 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge project connecting Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario.
The bridge is scheduled to open in early 2026. On January 30, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced regulations designating the bridge as an official port of entry. The project was negotiated by former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, and funded by the Canadian government.
The bridge is designed to ease heavy truck traffic, which is currently served by the Ambassador Bridge.
A University of Windsor study says the Gordie Howe Bridge could save truckers an estimated $2.3 billion over 30 years by cutting crossing times by up to 20 minutes.
Construction has been underway since 2018.
Michigan State Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, warned that canceling the project would have major economic consequences.
“Cancelling this project will have serious consequences for Michigan businesses in terms of increased costs, reduced supply chain security, and ultimately fewer jobs,” she said.
Conflict between the US and Canada
President Trump has made several threats targeting Canada during his second term, including significantly increasing tariffs on U.S. imports from its northern neighbor.
President Trump said last month that he would impose 100% tariffs on Canada if it went ahead with a trade deal with China.
In January, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China to repair strained bilateral relations, reaching a trade deal with Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States.
Trump also said in January that the U.S. could revoke the certification of Bombardier Global Express business jets and threatened to impose 50% tariffs on all Canadian-made aircraft unless Ottawa certifies several planes made by U.S. rival Gulfstream.
So far, the Trump administration has not taken action against Canadian Airlines.
The disagreements come as the United States and Canada prepare to renegotiate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which Trump signed during his first term in office.
