Carney says he had ‘positive’ call with Trump on Gordie Howe bridge threat

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he “explained” to U.S. President Donald Trump that while Canada paid for the Gordie Howe International Bridge that Trump is threatening to bar from opening, its ownership is shared and construction involved U.S. steel and workers.

“We discussed the bridge. I explained that Canada paid for the construction of the bridge — $6.4 billion — that the ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the Government of Canada,” Carney told reporters ahead of a cabinet meeting Tuesday.

Carney said he had a “positive conversation” with Trump.

Carney’s comments came after Trump said Monday he will block the opening of the new bridge and trade route connecting Ontario and Michigan until the United States is “compensated for everything we have given” Canada.

A White House official said on background that it was “unacceptable” for Trump that Canada owns the bridge “fully,” even though Carney has clarified that Michigan will have shared ownership of the bridge.

“The President believes that the United States should own at least half of the bridge, have shared authority over what passes across it, and participates in the economic benefits generated by its use,” the White House official said.

The official said the Ambassador Bridge “already connects the U.S. and Canada just miles away from the Gordie Howe Bridge.”

“This is just another example of President Trump putting America’s interests first, and so he made that very clear in his call with Prime Minister Carney earlier today,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing Tuesday.

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social website, Trump called for immediate negotiations over the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., saying he would seek U.S. ownership of “at least one half of this asset.”

The post also claimed no U.S. steel was used in the construction, a claim repeated by Leavitt on Tuesday.

Carney said U.S. content and workers were used in the making of the bridge.

“In the construction of the bridge — obviously there’s Canadian steel and workers — but also U.S. steel and U.S. workers were involved. This is a great example of co-operation between our countries. We look forward to it opening,” he said.

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Canadian Crown corporation that is overseeing construction of the project, told Global News the bridge remains on track to open early this year.

“The development of the Gordie Howe International Bridge has been underway since 2000 with representatives from U.S. and Canadian federal, Michigan, and Ontario governments collaborating to optimize the movement of people and goods through the critical Windsor-Detroit trade corridor,” the authority said in a statement.

“The Gordie Howe International Bridge project is bringing significant economic benefit across North America by encouraging investment, helping to maintain and create thousands of jobs, and generating new business and tourism opportunities.”

The authority said last week that major construction is complete and that testing is underway.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday he is “very confident this bridge is going to open.” He made multiple appearances on American news networks making the case for the economic benefits the new bridge will bring.

“I find it ironic that the president back in 2017 endorsed it and fast-tracked the project,” he told CBS News. “He was all in favour of it. This is going to be very, very beneficial for both sides of the border, especially for the people of Michigan.

“This is all about politics, it’s not about facts. It’s unfortunate that he (Trump) doesn’t have the facts, and I’d be more than happy to give him the facts.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the bridge would be good for jobs in her state.

“This is the busiest trade crossing in North America. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is all about jobs. It’s good for Michigan workers and it’s good for Michigan’s auto industry,” she said in a statement.

She added that union construction workers from both sides of the border were involved in construction and that the bridge will be operated under a joint ownership agreement between Michigan and Canada.

“This project has been a tremendous example of bipartisan and international cooperation. It’s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting,” Whitmer added.

The Detroit Regional Chamber said the bridge “would not have been possible without the partnership of the Canadian government.”

“Canada is more than a neighbor; it is critical to our economic future. There is no greater example of that than the international bridge,” Sandy K. Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber said in a statement.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said Trump’s threat is “just insane.”

“The Gordie Howe International Bridge has come to life over the course of 25 years, with successive U.S. presidents and Canadian prime ministers involved in the work to get this bridge constructed,” he posted on social media.

Industry Minister Melanie Joly said Canada was taking Trump’s concerns seriously and that she was confident the two sides would be able to work through this.

“When President Trump talks, we listen,” Joly said Tuesday.

“I’m convinced that we will be able to work this through.”

Michigan’s Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell called on  Trump to stop taking “cheap shots” at Canada, “our friend and ally.”

“This border is the busiest crossing between our two countries, and has been critical for not only Michigan jobs but also American jobs. Not to mention Canada paid for this bridge,” she said.

“This bridge was negotiated by a Republican Governor, and in 2017 Trump endorsed the bridge calling it a ‘vital economic link between our two countries’. Nothing has changed,” Dingell added.

The state’s Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin said cancelling the project will result in “higher costs for Michigan businesses, less secure supply chains, and ultimately, fewer jobs.”

“The President’s agenda for personal retribution should not come before what’s best for us. Canada is our friend — not our enemy. And I will do everything in my power to get this critical project back on track,” she said.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said Trump’s move to block the bridge would be “a self-defeating move.”

“The Trump administration was right in 2017 in its joint statement that endorsed the bridge as a priority project, calling it a ‘vital economic link between our two countries.’ Modern border infrastructure strengthens shared economic security. The path forward isn’t deconstructing established trade corridors, it’s actually building bridges,” said Candaice Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

–with files from Global’s Reggie Cecchini and Sean Boynton

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