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The latest chapter of the international drama involving the Gordie Howe Bridge–the bridge Canada definitely paid for all by itself–is hopefully the end of a bittersweet story. The bridge will be opened to traffic on Monday without fanfare or an elaborate ribbon cutting ceremony, after President Donald Trump dropped hefty new retaliatory tariffs on the U.S.'s second largest trading partner.
There's a lot of background here. Last month, Canada was considering a quiet ribbon cutting ceremony to avoid Trump's ire, but even that plan had to be scrapped as behind-the-scenes wrangling between the two countries continued. Bridge officials were worried about riling up the "kooks and crackpots" (aka the U.S. government) with the opening. They were right to worry. Trump turned this $4.6 billion piece of infrastructure vital to the economies of two nations into a bargaining chip, suspiciously after the billionaire private owner of the Ambassador Bridge paid (and I mean, paid, about $1 million to a Trump SuperPAC) a visit to Trump this spring.
The opening was delayed, then delayed again, until Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to a net profit sharing deal with the U.S. (which notably cuts out Michigan, the state that paid for the new U.S. side pavilion) over the next 15 years. It's not that big of a change, really, from the previous agreement, except it screws over Michigan for immediate gains rather than long term financial health. Canada's debt from building for the bridge will be dispensed with first via tolls collected solely on the Canadian side, along with funds needed for upkeep and maintenance for the bridge. It was one of those pyrrhic victories that world leaders have been handing the 80-year-old leader of the free world to keep him quiet.
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What is it now?
But Trump couldn't just take his pilfered candy and go home. The ribbon cutting ceremony planned for this Friday would have involved officials from both sides of the Detroit river. But the ceremony was scrapped, apparently due to rising trade tensions the day after Trump announced a 50% tariff on Canadian goods in 30 days unless the country grants even more concessions to the U.S., according to the Detroit News.
These tariffs appear to be retaliatory for the Canadian wildfires, as Trump mentioned such measures during the final World Cup game. His administration has denied the connection, however, citing instead Canada's removal of American booze from store shelves in April 2025, according to the Washington Post.
So, no big celebration. After years of construction, and even more of simply wrangling all the permits and permissions, the Gordie Howe bridge will open with a whisper, not a bang. Michigan is likely relieved it will open at all. The state is loosing out on any profits from the bridge directly, but the delayed opening is still costing the Michigan economy an estimates $1 million a day in lost trade, according to the Detroit Regional Chamber.
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