Canada cancels joint bridge celebration with US after Trump's trade threat

Canada has canceled a planned joint celebration with the U.S. to mark the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, citing the latest tariffs threat made by President Donald Trump’s Administration.

“In light of trade action threatened by the United States earlier this week, it would be inappropriate to proceed with a celebratory event between the two countries,” said Jenna Ghassabeh, a spokesperson for Canadian Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, in an emailed statement to TIME.

The bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan, to Windsor, Ontario, is set to formally open on July 27.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the “new connection” between the two countries, with officials from both sides in attendance, had been planned, but in light of the reignited trade row, Canadian officials now plan to celebrate alone.

Members of the media have been invited to “a special ceremony” with Robertson. 

“We remain committed to opening the bridge on July 27th, and to celebrating this milestone among Canadians on July 24th,” said Ghassabeh.

The discord comes after Trump on Monday signed proclamations imposing additional 50% tariffs on certain goods from Canada.

Set to take effect on Aug. 19, the tariffs are a response to what the Trump Administration describes as “discriminatory treatment” from Canada. Ottawa imposed tariffs on some vehicle imports from the U.S. in 2025 amid a trade war sparked by Trump’s global tariffs, the majority of which were struck down by a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year.

This time, the Trump Administration has imposed tariffs on Canada through the means of a rarely-used statute: Section 338 of the 1930 Tariff Act.

“President Trump took decisive action to hold Canada accountable for its retaliation and discrimination, delivering on his promise to correct trade imbalances and ensure fairness for American workers, farmers, and businesses,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Goods that transit the border under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will reportedly not be exempt from the new regime, according to the White House. The U.S. declined to renew the trade pact with Mexico and Canada earlier this month, bringing further uncertainty.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday told reporters he had spoken with Trump and said an agreement had been reached to “intensify” negotiations in the coming weeks in the hope of reaching a trade agreement between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.

Of the incoming 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, Carney said “we will look at all options in terms of how we would respond, if they do come into effect.”

Read More: Trump Threatens to Block Opening of Bridge Between U.S. and Canada, Demands Compensation

This isn’t the first stumbling block that the U.S. and Canada have come across during the collaborative process of building the bridge.

The progress of the bridge came into question in February this year, when Trump threatened to block its opening if the U.S. was not “compensated.” 

Trump claimed that Canada would own both sides of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, for which construction began in 2018, and complained that the infrastructure has been built with “virtually no U.S. content.”

Carney addressed tensions at the time, telling reporters he and Trump had discussed the dispute.

“I explained that Canada, of course, paid for the construction of the bridge, over $4 billion. That the ownership is shared between the state of Michigan and the government of Canada,” Carney said. He pushed back against Trump's claims about the building materials, arguing that both Canadian and U.S. steel had been used. 

More recently, there were disagreements over the planned distribution of tolls.

Carney on July 16 said Canada won't share bridge tolls with the U.S. until it recoups its initial investment into the project. He added that net revenues from the bridge would be split halfway between the U.S. and Canada. 

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on July 18 announced a deal had been struck regarding the bridge. “Now, the U.S. gets 50% of net revenues until 2041 and a say in setting the tolls. Our share is before interest and principal,” he said.

Trump, during his first term, had initially shown great excitement about the bridge, named after prolific Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe, saying it would “serve as a vital economic link between our two countries” in a joint statement with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2017. 

The canceled joint bridge celebration is the latest example of frayed tensions between the U.S. and Canada.

Read More: Trump Revisits Idea to Annex Canada, Days After Carney Calls for New Partnership With U.S.

Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly mentioned his ambitions to annex Canada and make it the 51st state. Just last month, Trump revisited the idea when he responded to an article that stated Canada had entered a “technical recession.” His answer, shared via social media, simply said “51st State!”

Following in the footsteps of Carney, who has repeatedly shut down Trump’s annexation rhetoric, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said: ”I can’t believe I have to say this again, but Canada will never be the 51st state. Canada is not for sale.”

Trump also referred to Carney as the “future Governor of Canada” in March—a title he had previously used in reference to Trudeau. 

In a 2025 interview with TIME, marking his first 100 days in office, Trump was asked if he was “trolling” about making Canada the 51st state. 

“Actually, no, I’m not,” he told TIME. “I'm really not trolling. Canada is an interesting case… We don't need anything from Canada. And I say the only way this thing really works is for Canada to become a state.“