WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threatened Monday to block the opening of a new bridge connecting the US and Canada, while lashing out at his country’s northern neighbor over a range of economic issues.The Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario to the US state of Michigan, would not open until Ottawa “treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve”, Trump wrote on social media.According to the project’s website, the bridge is being funded by the Canadian government but will be publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan.Major construction on the 1.5-mile bridge that connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is complete, and it’s expected to open this year after a period of testing.It is not clear how Trump would block the opening of the bridge. The more than $4 billion dollar bridge, named for the famous Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe, is being fully paid for, built, operated and maintained by Ottawa but will be jointly owned by the government of Canada and the state of Michigan, according to the 2012 agreement laying out the terms of the bridge.The agreement also stipulates that any iron and steel used in its construction must be produced in either the US or Canada, and one country should not be favored over the other.Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told CBC News that US steel was used in the construction of the bridge on the Michigan side of the river.“It’s just insane,” Dilkens said, responding to Trump’s statement Monday. “I really can’t believe what I’m reading.”Monday’s comments are the latest in a series of attacks by Trump against Canada, which escalated after Carney delivered a speech at Davos encouraging middle powers to band together against global superpowers, such as the US.At the end of January, Trump said he will decertify all aircraft made in Canada and threatened a 50% tariff on Canadian planes.Trump has also threatened to hit all Canadian goods with a 100% tariff if Canada makes a trade deal with China, which the president said “will eat Canada alive” in Monday’s Truth Social Post.Last month, Carney met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing and the two formed a “new strategic partnership,” with Canada easing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and allowing up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into its market annually. China is also expected to reduce tariff barriers on Canadian canola seed, lobster and peas later this year.The increasing turbulence in US-Canada relations comes ahead of this year’s scheduled review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trade deal Trump negotiated during his first term to replace the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA).Trump spoke highly of the bridge’s value to the US in his first term. A 2017 joint statement with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the Gordie Howe bridge “a vital economic link between the two countries.” — AgenciesWASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threatened Monday to block the opening of a new bridge connecting the US and Canada, while lashing out at his country’s northern neighbor over a range of economic issues.The Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario to the US state of Michigan, would not open until Ottawa “treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve”, Trump wrote on social media.According to the project’s website, the bridge is being funded by the Canadian government but will be publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan.Major construction on the 1.5-mile bridge that connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is complete, and it’s expected to open this year after a period of testing.It is not clear how Trump would block the opening of the bridge. The more than $4 billion dollar bridge, named for the famous Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe, is being fully paid for, built, operated and maintained by Ottawa but will be jointly owned by the government of Canada and the state of Michigan, according to the 2012 agreement laying out the terms of the bridge.The agreement also stipulates that any iron and steel used in its construction must be produced in either the US or Canada, and one country should not be favored over the other.Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told CBC News that US steel was used in the construction of the bridge on the Michigan side of the river.“It’s just insane,” Dilkens said, responding to Trump’s statement Monday. “I really can’t believe what I’m reading.”Monday’s comments are the latest in a series of attacks by Trump against Canada, which escalated after Carney delivered a speech at Davos encouraging middle powers to band together against global superpowers, such as the US.At the end of January, Trump said he will decertify all aircraft made in Canada and threatened a 50% tariff on Canadian planes.Trump has also threatened to hit all Canadian goods with a 100% tariff if Canada makes a trade deal with China, which the president said “will eat Canada alive” in Monday’s Truth Social Post.Last month, Carney met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing and the two formed a “new strategic partnership,” with Canada easing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and allowing up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into its market annually. China is also expected to reduce tariff barriers on Canadian canola seed, lobster and peas later this year.The increasing turbulence in US-Canada relations comes ahead of this year’s scheduled review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trade deal Trump negotiated during his first term to replace the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA).Trump spoke highly of the bridge’s value to the US in his first term. A 2017 joint statement with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the Gordie Howe bridge “a vital economic link between the two countries.” — Agencies
Trump threatens to block opening of new US-Canada bridge
