Gordie Howe Bridge opening strained by tariff fight

The project has also faced opposition from Michigan’s Moroun family, owners of the nearby Ambassador Bridge, the busiest commercial border crossing in North America and one of the few privately owned crossings. A New York Times report said billionaire Matthew Maroun, who is also a Trump donor, met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hours before the president made his comments. In June, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada had agreed to a U.S. request to delay the opening to allow more negotiations.

To keep the bridge moving forward, Ottawa accepted a revised arrangement that will split half of the bridge revenues for the next 15 years with an economic development fund controlled solely by the U.S. government. Trump later described that deal in a social media post as much better for America. Carney now faces criticism at home from those who say Canada has given in too much, while some provincial leaders want a tougher line in trade talks.

Colin Robertson, a former Canadian diplomat at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said Ottawa is dealing with an administration that does not stick to agreements. Ontario Premier Doug Ford praised Carney for getting the deal done, while the bridge’s wider significance remains clear: it is a vital link for commerce, supply chains, and communities on both sides of the border. The takeaway for Americans is simple — this bridge matters not just as infrastructure, but as a test of how much strain the North American trade relationship can absorb.