Gordie Howe International Bridge Opening Delayed; Trump Pressured Over Trade Friction

(Central News Agency, Toronto, 11th, Combined Foreign Reports) The opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which was scheduled to open recently, connecting the United States and Canada, has been postponed. US President Donald Trump earlier this year threatened to block the opening due to US-Canada trade friction.

According to an invitation obtained by Reuters, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, originally scheduled for today, has been canceled.

In February of this year, Trump threatened not to allow the new bridge to open, citing Canada's refusal to allow some US alcoholic beverages to be sold in stores, Canada's tariffs on US dairy products, and Canada's ongoing trade negotiations with China.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge connects Detroit, Michigan, USA, with Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority stated: "Canada and the United States have agreed to postpone the opening of the bridge and will use the time to resolve all outstanding issues."

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada agreed to postpone the bridge's opening at the request of the Trump administration.

Speaking at an event in Toronto, Carney said: "We agreed to postpone the opening and use the time to deal with unresolved issues." He did not provide details on these issues.

Carney added: "This bridge will serve Canadians, Americans, and the region for decades to come. Waiting a few more weeks for that is worthwhile."

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said on social media platform X that while officials were looking forward to the bridge opening, "Canada doesn't need to grovel for this."

US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra told The Detroit News that he and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are negotiating with Canada, but Lutnick's office has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The White House has also not responded.

Construction of the Gordie Howe Bridge began in 2018. It is being funded solely by Canada, as the US side refused to bear the costs. The recovery of construction costs will depend on toll collection over the next 30 years. (Editor: Ji Jinling) 1150612