US President Donald Trump on Monday linked the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge between Michigan and Ontario to the United States receiving a share of no less than half and full compensation, and threatened to impose 100% customs duties on Canada after its initial trade agreement with China.

Published on: 02/10/2026 - 02:04

US President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to obstruct the opening of a new bridge linking the United States and Canada, at a time when he had proposed, after his return to the White House, to annex Canada to become the fifty-first American state.

Regarding the bridge project, Trump stressed that the United States must own “at least half” of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is still under construction, linking the Canadian province of Ontario and the American state of Michigan.

The start of construction of the bridge, which bears the name of the late Canadian hockey player Gordie Howe, dates back to 2018, and its cost is $4.7 billion, with plans to open it later this year.

In a post on his “Truth Social” platform, Trump wrote, “I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, and most importantly, for Canada to treat the United States with the fairness and respect we deserve.”

He also stressed that "negotiations will begin immediately."

Read also: Trump warns Canada about a trade agreement with China and threatens a “very strong” American response

The 79-year-old Republican president criticized Canada, saying it owns both sides of the bridge and used "almost" no American products in its construction.

He added, "And now, on top of all that, Prime Minister (Mark) Carney wants to conclude a deal with China (...) a deal that will devour Canada. We will only get crumbs! I don't think so."

This came in light of Washington's threat to impose 100% customs duties on Canada following Carney's visit to Beijing last month and his signing of an initial trade agreement with China.

The US President repeated his surprising claims that Beijing, if the agreement is concluded, "will end all ice hockey matches held in Canada."

Since his return to office in January 2025, Trump has entered into repeated confrontations with Canada over trade issues, noting that he had previously called for Canada to be annexed to the United States before he largely backed away from this idea over the past months.

In the same context, Carney warned during his participation in the Davos Forum last month that the global order led by the United States was witnessing a “fracture,” in an indirect reference to the turmoil caused by Trump’s policies on the international scene, calling on what he called moderately powerful countries to unite.

France 24/AFP

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