Gordie Howe International Bridge Opens Amid US‑Canada Trade Row

The $6.4 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, opened to traffic on July 27 after years of construction that began in 2018. Canada financed the entire project and expects the span to move roughly $1 billion worth of goods daily, easing congestion on the privately‑owned Ambassador Bridge.

A joint ribbon‑cutting ceremony was cancelled after President Donald Trump announced 50 percent tariffs on a range of Canadian products and said the United States would now claim half of the bridge’s net revenue for the next 15 years. Canada held a solo inauguration, with officials such as Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens speaking. Ford called the bridge “vital for our economy,” while Dilkens noted the “regretful” state of the trade relationship.

The original 2012 agreement would have let Canada retain all tolls until its construction debt was repaid, after which revenues would be split evenly. Trump declared that deal “no longer stands,” claiming a new arrangement gives the United States 50 percent of the profit. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the 2012 pact remains in force and that revenue sharing will only begin after the debt is cleared, but a draft agreement released in July indicates a 15‑year split of net revenues without a repayment prerequisite.

The episode reflects deeper tensions in the bilateral trade relationship, which handles more than 70 percent of Canada’s exports, and underscores the political stakes surrounding a major cross‑border infrastructure project.