President Donald Trump declared he will not permit the opening of a long-planned international bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, saying the United States must be “fully compensated for everything” before traffic can flow across the span.

The remarks, posted Feb. 9 on Truth Social, intensified already simmering tensions between Washington and Ottawa, as Trump also aired grievances about a potential Canada-China trade deal and sharply criticized Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

A $4.6 Billion Crossing in the Crosshairs

The Gordie Howe International Bridge — a $4.6 billion infrastructure project stretching 1.5 miles across the Detroit River — was approved in 2014. The six-lane crossing, slated to open in early 2026, is expected to rank among North America’s largest ports of entry, designed to ease congestion and bolster border security between the two nations.

But Trump argued that Canada controls both sides of the project and constructed it with “virtually no U.S. content.”

“Canada is building a massive bridge between Ontario and Michigan. They own both the Canada and the United States side and, of course, built it with virtually no U.S. content,” Trump wrote. He accused former President Barack Hussein Obama of granting Canada a waiver from the Buy American Act, allowing the use of non-U.S. materials, including steel.

“Now, the Canadian Government expects me, as President of the United States, to PERMIT them to just ‘take advantage of America!’” Trump wrote.

In the same post, Trump floated the idea that the United States should claim at least 50% ownership of the bridge.

“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote. “With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset.”

Trade Tensions With China Add Fuel

The dispute over the bridge unfolded against a broader backdrop of trade friction. Trump renewed his warning that he would impose a 100% tariff on Canadian imports if Ottawa advances a trade agreement with China.

Referring to Prime Minister Mark Carney as “Governor Carney” — echoing his oft-stated suggestion that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state — Trump wrote that if Carney “thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken.”

Canada has not finalized a trade agreement with the United States, and the 2020 Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement is scheduled for review this year.

“Prime Minister Carney wants to make a deal with China — which will eat Canada alive. We’ll just get the leftovers! I don't think so,” Trump wrote. He then added a sweeping and unsubstantiated claim: “The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.”

Trump also criticized Canadian tariffs on U.S. dairy products, calling them unacceptable and harmful to American farmers.

“The Tariffs Canada charges us for our Dairy products have, for many years, been unacceptable, putting our Farmers at great financial risk,” he wrote. “I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.”

‘Rupture’ in the World Order

Trump’s frustration with Carney appears to date back to remarks the Canadian leader made at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20.

“We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney said. “Great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons.”

Carney emphasized that middle powers such as Canada must adapt to the shifting global order.

“The question for middle powers, like Canada, is not whether to adapt to this new reality. We must,” he said. “Middle powers must act together, because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”

Trump responded by saying Canada “should be grateful” to the United States.

In a separate Truth Social post, Trump announced he was excluding Carney from his Board of Peace — an initiative he established to assist in rebuilding Gaza and later expanded to address other global conflicts.

As the Gordie Howe International Bridge rises steel by steel over the Detroit River, it now stands not just as a physical link between two neighbors, but as a symbol of mounting economic and political strain. Whether it becomes a gateway or a bargaining chip may depend on negotiations still to come.