Trump declares bridge deal void after Canada cancels ceremony

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is seeking 50% of the profits from the Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Michigan and Ontario, declaring the original agreement void after Canada cancelled a joint inauguration ceremony.

“Canada disinvited the United States of America to the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge, which is fine, considering they are paying substantial TARIFFS to the United States, but the original Deal on the Bridge, which was terribly negotiated by a previous Administration, no longer stands. We changed the terms of the Deal so that the United States of America now gets 50% of the Profit,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The demand follows Ottawa’s decision to withdraw a U.S. invitation to the opening ceremony, citing Trump’s move to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian goods. The new tariffs are set to take effect on August 19.

The bridge officially opened on July 24 without U.S. participation, with traffic expected to begin on July 27, according to Reuters.

The project, named after hockey legend Gordie Howe, has been under construction since 2018 and was fully funded by Canada at a cost of $4.7 billion. The launch had originally been scheduled for June.

In February, Trump had also threatened to block the project after Canada declined to import certain U.S. alcoholic beverages, underscoring ongoing trade tensions between the two countries.

By Tamilla Hasanova