Carney contradicted Trump and stated that “Canada paid for the bridge” that connects to the United States

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held a telephone conversation with the President of United States Donald Trump to clarify key aspects of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, following statements by the US president threatening to block its opening until compensation was obtained. Carney explained that Canada fully financed the construction of the infrastructure, which exceeded 4.7 billion dollars, contrary to what Trump stated on Monday. In statements following the dialogue, Carney emphasized that the work involved American materials and labor. “There is steel from the United States and workers from the United States participated in this project and built it. It is a great example of cooperation” between both nations, reiterated the Canadian Prime Minister. Carney added that “the property is shared between the Government of Canada and the state of Michigan”, referring to the legal structure of the project. The Gordie Howe bridge will connect Windsor, in the province of Ontario, with Detroit, in the state of Michigan, through a 2.4-kilometer extension over the Detroit River. Construction began in 2018 and its inauguration is scheduled for this year. The infrastructure, which is named after the Canadian ice hockey legend Gordie Howe, will become the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America and constitutes a fundamental corridor for bilateral trade.

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The border zone between Windsor and Detroit is one of the main hubs of the North American automotive industry, with supply chains constantly crossing the border. The daily crossing of vehicles in the region exceeds tens of thousands of units, with projections pointing to sustained growth in the coming years. The opening of the bridge seeks to decongest existing routes and strengthen trade relations between both countries in a context of growing tensions.

Trump had posted on Monday on his Truth Social network that he would not allow the bridge to open “until the United States receives full compensation for everything we have given it and, in addition, until Canada treats the United States with the justice and respect we deserve.” The US president also suggested that Washington should own “perhaps, at least half” of the infrastructure, and announced the “immediate” start of bilateral negotiations.

The project was fully funded by the Canadian Government, with a long-term investment recovery scheme based on toll collection only from vehicles crossing from Canada to the United States. The work employed 2,500 workers during its most active construction phase, between 2021 and 2023, and was executed by the Bridging North America consortium in partnership with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority.

Carney indicated that Trump requested the participation of his ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, a native of Michigan, in the dialogues to “soften” the issue. “It was a positive conversation,” said the Canadian. The U.S. ambassador was confirmed in April 2025 by the Senate in a bipartisan vote of 60 in favor and 37 against, amid one of the most difficult moments in the bilateral relationship in decades.

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The Canadian Prime Minister also pointed out that “this is going to be resolved” and that the bridge will allow to strengthen both trade and tourism. At the end of the conversation, Carney mentioned that he also spoke with Trump about the women’s ice hockey game that the Canadian and United States teams were playing that Tuesday in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. “Of course, we are going to win,” assured the Canadian Prime Minister.

The dispute over the bridge occurs in a context of accelerating deterioration of relations between Washington and Ottawa. Trump has imposed tariffs on Canadian products and has reiterated on multiple occasions that Canada should become the “51st state of the United States.” Canada, for its part, has sought to diversify its trading partners. Last month, Carney signed a preliminary agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping that includes the annual entry of up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into the Canadian market and the reduction of barriers for Canadian agricultural exports to China. Washington warned of imposing 100% tariffs on Canadian products following Carney’s visit to Beijing. Trump harshly criticized this understanding in his post. “Prime Minister Carney wants to make a deal with China, which will eat Canada alive. We will only get the leftovers! I don’t think so,” wrote the American president. The differences between both governments also include restrictions on the sale of American alcohol in Canada and tariffs on imports of dairy products, which Trump has called “unfair.”