The highly anticipated opening of the $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, has been delayed by the U.S. and Canada.
The bridge’s opening ceremony, initially planned for Friday, has been postponed, Reuters reported. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority announced, “Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, at an event in Toronto, confirmed the delay was at the request of the Trump administration. While he did not specify the “outstanding issues” needing resolution, Carney highlighted the importance of addressing them for a bridge that will serve both countries for decades to come.
Talks with Canada on opening the bridge are being led by U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Canada-US Talks Face Headwinds
This delay comes amid volatile trade ties between the U.S. and Canada. In February, Trump suggested he could block the bridge’s opening, citing Canada’s refusal to stock certain U.S. alcoholic beverages, tariffs on American dairy products, and its trade negotiations with China.
However, earlier this month, in a move that critics argued was a concession in the ongoing trade war with the U.S., Canada’s Liberal government announced a new policy under the Online Streaming Act. This act would potentially reduce or eliminate contributions that American streaming companies such as Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX), Amazon.com‘s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Prime and The Walt Disney Company‘s (NYSE:DIS) Disney+ would have to make to support Canadian TV production and promotion.
Earlier this week, the Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, a Trump critic, urged the president to “get a deal” with Canada. “I think we just need to hammer out a deal as quickly as we possibly can,” Ford told the Financial Times.
However, on Wednesday, Trump expressed doubts about the renewal of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), citing trade deficits with both countries. In a press briefing, Trump stated, “We don’t need anything that Canada has.”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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