U.S.-Canada bridge brouhaha deepens as White House says Trump could amend a permit for the project

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has the right to amend the permit for a new bridge between Canada and Michigan, the White House said, prolonging the latest dispute between the United States and its northern neighbor for several hours after the prime minister signaled there might be a detente.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will connect Ontario and Michigan and be a vital economic artery between the two countries, is scheduled to open in early 2026. But Trump has now threatened to block the opening of the bridge and called on Canada to agree to an unspecified set of demands as the two countries prepare to renegotiate an expanded trade deal later this year.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke with Trump earlier Tuesday and expressed confidence that the dispute would be resolved. But later Tuesday, a White House official said the bridge’s ownership structure remained unacceptable to the US president.

Canada paid for the bridge, which was named after the Canadian-born Detroit Red Wings hockey star. Construction has been continuing since 2018.

All international infrastructure projects require presidential permission and Trump would have the right to change that permission, the official said. The person was granted anonymity because he did not have permission to speak publicly.

“The fact that Canada controls what crosses the Gordie Howe Bridge and owns the land on both sides is unacceptable to the president,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. “It is also unacceptable that the majority of this bridge is not built with more American-made materials.”

The new fight over the bridge is the latest salvo in an increasingly deteriorating relationship between the United States and Canada, particularly over trade policy. Trump had also publicly mused about adding Canada as the 51st U.S. state, much to the dismay of Canadians.

After his meeting with Trump, Carney said “this issue will be resolved” and noted that he told the US president that the Canadian and Michigan governments share ownership of the bridge. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office also emphasized that the bridge will be operated under a joint ownership agreement between the state and Canada, although it will be paid for by the Canadian government.

Carney added that US steel was used in the project, in which US workers were also employed. Trump said he would ask former Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, “to play a role in moderating the dialogue in and around the bridge,” according to Carney.

Hoekstra did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“I can’t wait for it to open, and what’s especially important is the trade and tourism of Canadians and Americans who cross this bridge,” Carney said.

project It was negotiated by former Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder and paid for by the Canadian government to help relieve congestion on the existing Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor tunnel.

Snyder wrote in a column in The Detroit News on Tuesday that Trump was wrong to claim that both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the Gordie Howe Bridge belong to Canada.

“Canada and the state of Michigan own the new bridge 50/50,” Snyder wrote. “Canada was great and fully financed the bridge. They will get paid back with interest on the tolls. Michigan and the United States took half ownership with no investment.”

The former governor also emphasized that some parts of the bridge construction are exempt from “Buy America” ​​requirements for their steel because half of the project is outside the United States, so U.S. laws should not apply to them.

“President Trump, I encourage you to challenge your advisors and the sources of your post to correct the information they provided,” Snyder wrote in his column. He acknowledged some trade issues with Canada, but “choosing this bridge as a leverage point doesn’t seem to make sense given your other tools.”

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Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti in Washington and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.