OTTAWA, Feb. 10 — Canadian political and business leaders have voiced strong opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to stall the opening of the nearly completed Gordie Howe International Bridge, local media reported on Monday.
The bridge, connecting Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan, will be the third crossing at the Windsor-Detroit gateway. This corridor handles approximately 25 percent of bilateral trade between Canada and the United States and serves as a vital artery for the North American automotive industry.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens criticized Trump for ignoring the mutual interests of both nations. “It’s just insane, when I read that post, I can’t believe what I’m reading,” Dilkens said. “It’s just another speed bump that Donald Trump has put in the way of doing good things, not just for our country but for his as well.”
Addressing Trump’s claim that no American products were used in the construction, Dilkens clarified that American steel was utilized on the U.S. side of the project.
Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, also warned in a statement that blocking the bridge’s opening would be a “self-defeating” move.
“Whether this proves real or simply threatened to keep uncertainty high, blocking or barricading bridges is a self-defeating move,” Laing said.
“The path forward isn’t deconstructing established trade corridors; it’s actually building bridges.” The project is primarily funded by the Canadian federal government with an investment of 6.4 billion Canadian dollars (about 4.7 billion U.S. dollars).
Canada plans to recover the cost through future toll revenues, which is slated to be shared with the state of Michigan once the investment is fully recouped.
Earlier Monday, Trump complained on his social media platform that Canada has treated the United States “unfairly” regarding trade.
He asserted that the United States should own “at least one half” of the asset and threatened to block its opening unless it is compensated.
The rhetoric marks a sharp reversal from Trump’s first term in 2017, when he endorsed the bridge as a “vital economic link between our two countries.” (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
