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A planned joint ceremony on Friday between the U.S. and Canada marking the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge has been canceled after President Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on certain Canadian imports, including alcohol and dairy.
The tariffs were in response to what the administration described as “discriminatory” trade measures from Canada, and a senior administration official confirmed to reporters that it impacted products ranging from “wine to hockey sticks to cement.”
Earlier this month, the two countries agreed to open the long-delayed $4.7 billion bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, following a slate of negotiations that Trump said brought a “much better deal” for the U.S. on toll revenue.
“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,” Jenna Ghassabeh, a spokesperson for Canadian Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, said in a statement to the Associated Press.
“We remain committed to opening the bridge on July 27th, and to celebrating this milestone among Canadians on July 24th,” she continued.
Canada now plans to hold its own opening ceremony on Friday, ahead of its planned opening on July 27. It is unclear whether the U.S. will hold its own separate ceremony.
Two U.S. officials familiar with internal deliberations told the AP that while the bridge is still expected to open to traffic on July 27, they are less certain of that timeline than they were prior to Trump’s tariff announcement.
The 1.5-mile bridge is expected to become a major commercial crossing between the U.S. and Canada. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was originally scheduled for June 12 — in light of the bridge’s initial opening date of June 27 — but was postponed after officials said the countries were working to finalize negotiations.
The bridge is named after Canadian hockey star Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.
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