President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of a bridge connecting the US and Canada until Washington is “fully compensated for everything” it has given to its northern neighbour.
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.
It is not clear how Trump could block its opening but he said negotiations would begin immediately, without elaborating.
Spanning the Detroit River, the bridge is expected to open to traffic pending formal tests and approvals in early 2026. Construction began in 2018, but the project has been a point of contention between the countries for more than a decade.