Trump threatens to block the opening of a new bridge between Windsor and Detroit

US President Donald TrThe ump is threatening to block the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge, set to become the new border crossing between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit.

“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and, most importantly, Canada treats the United States with fairness and due respect,” Trump wrote in a post on Monday.

CBC News asked the White House for more details.

Trump made the threat in a 299-word speech in which he said Canada had treated the US “unfairly for decades,” complained that the bridge was built with “almost no US content” and repeated his criticism of Prime Minister Mark Carney “for wanting to make a trade deal with China.”

“With all that we have given them, we should have with them, perhaps, at least one part of this property,” he wrote.

The $6.4 billion cost of the Gordie Howe Bridge was funded entirely by the Canadian federal government, but the bridge is jointly owned by Canada and the state of Michigan.

Construction of the six-lane crossing began in 2018.

Major construction is now complete, according to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Crown corporation overseeing the project, which is being built through a public-private partnership. Final inspections and testing are still pending, and it is expected to open sometime early this year.

The Gordie Howe Bridge has been the focus of a decade-long legal battle between the American owners of the existing Ambassador Bridge and the federal government.

Trump approved the new bridge in 2017

The owners of the Ambassador Bridge, the Moroun family of Detroit, are seeking compensation for what they say is a violation of the new bridge’s exclusive right to collect tolls.

The Moroun family urged Trump during his first term as president to stop the new crossing. However, Trump endorsed the bridge as a priority project in 2017, issuing a joint statement with then-prime minister Justin Trudeau calling it “an important economic link between our two countries.”

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says parts of Trump’s position are wrong, as US steel was used in the construction of a river near Michigan.

“It’s crazy,” Dilkens told the CBC Power and Politics host David Cochrane on Monday evenings.

“I can’t believe what I’m reading,” Dilkens said. “The sooner we can get to a middle ground and hopefully see change, the better for all of us.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Witmer defends the bridge and says it was built by union construction workers from both sides of the border.

“The Gordie Howe International Bridge is about jobs. It’s good for Michigan workers and good for Michigan’s auto industry,” Whitmer press secretary Stacey LaRouche said in an email to CBC News.

“This project has been a great example of bipartisan and international cooperation. It’s going to be open in one way or another, and the governor is looking forward to attending the ribbon cutting,” LaRouche said.

‘It’s bad for our country’s economy’

US Senator Elissa Slotkin, Democrat of Michigan, says Trump is punishing the people of her state by threatening to block the bridge.

“President Trump’s threats tonight are very dangerous for our country’s economy. Canceling this project will have serious consequences,” Slotkin wrote on social media.

“The only reason Canada is close to a trade deal with China is because President Trump has been kicking them in the teeth for a year,” he wrote. “Canada is our friend – not our enemy.”

Although Trump has sometimes failed to follow through on past threats against Canada, he appears to have the authority to block the opening of the bridge with the stroke of a pen.

This executive order limits the president’s authority to issue permits for international transportation to cross the US border.

A presidential permit authorizing the construction and operation of a new bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor was issued in 2013, but like any executive order, it can be revoked by the president.