Canada Opens Gordie Howe Bridge Without U.S. Officials Amid Tariff Tensions

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Reuters and Xinhua, Canada on Friday (July 24) held an opening ceremony for the Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, without any U.S. officials in attendance. Canada canceled the planned joint cross-border ribbon-cutting after the escalation in U.S.-Canada trade tensions. The simple ceremony was attended only by Canadian officials and invited guests, including members of Gordie Howe's family. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy had created more challenges for bilateral ties, but called the bridge an example of what the two countries can achieve by working together. The 1.5-mile (2.41-kilometer) bridge is due to open for traffic on July 27 and will operate 24 hours a day. According to the Canadian Border Services Agency website cited by Xinhua, it is Canada's newest, largest and most technologically advanced land border crossing, and will bring the country's total number of land border crossings to 118. Canada said it spent C$6.4 billion, or nearly S$5.9 billion, to build the bridge, which began construction in 2018. The U.S. state of Michigan did not pay for construction but holds a nominal 50% stake. After emergency talks, the two sides signed the opening documents once Canada agreed to divert part of future toll revenue into a regional development fund in the U.S. over the next 15 years.