Trump warns Canada over bridge, deal he says will eliminate hockey

By Brett Rowland
The Center Square

President Donald Trump warned Canada over plans for a bridge and a deal with China that he says would eliminate ice hockey and the Stanley Cup in the latest trade tensions between the neighboring nations.

Trump threatened to hold up the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, saying the transit project was unfair. The bridge project has been underway for years and was expected to open early this year.

“Canada is building a massive bridge between Ontario and Michigan. They own both the Canada and the United States side and, of course, built it with virtually no U.S. content. President Barack Hussein Obama stupidly gave them a waiver so they could get around the BUY AMERICAN Act, and not use any American products, including our Steel,” Trump wrote in a lengthy social media post on the topic. “Now, the Canadian Government expects me, as President of the United States, to PERMIT them to just ‘take advantage of America!’ What does the United States of America get — Absolutely NOTHING!”

Trump said he will begin talks on partial American ownership of the bridge project, which is operated by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, a not-for-profit Canadian Crown corporation that manages the bridge through a public-private partnership. Canada is paying for the project, estimated to cost $5.7 billion. The bridge is publicly owned by Canada and the state of Michigan. Canada plans to recover its up-front building costs from toll revenues over time.

“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” Trump wrote on social media. “The revenues generated because of the U.S. Market will be astronomical.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she plans to speak directly to Trump about the matter. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday the situation would be resolved after he spoke with Trump.

Trump also slammed Ontario for refusing to sell U.S.-made booze. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario banned the sale of U.S.-made products last year. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said he’ll keep the ban in place until Trump’s tariffs are lifted.

Trump’s more dire warnings came over a deal between Canada and China. In January, Carney and Chinese officials announced a deal to ease tariffs they had put on each other’s products. China reduced tariffs on Canadian agricultural products, and Canada agreed to import 49,000 Chinese electric cars at a 6.1% tariff. The deal represents less than 3% of the new-vehicle market in Canada, according to the Prime Minister’s office. However, Carney said it was a starting point.

At the time, Trump threatened Canada with 100% tariffs on imports. Trump said Monday that the future of Canada’s most popular sport, ice hockey, is at stake.

“The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.

Canada’s economy is directly tied to the U.S. Most of its exports go to the U.S. Trump imposed 35% tariffs on Canadian goods in early 2025, except for products covered by the 2020 trade deal, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement.

Those tariffs hit Canada’s economy hard. Canadian exports dropped, business investment slowed, and tariff uncertainty dragged the nation’s economy, according to a recent report from the International Monetary Fund. Carney has publicly pivoted away from the U.S. since early 2025, when Trump hit America’s northern neighbor with tariffs over drugs and illegal immigration. Since then, Carney has discussed the “rupture” between the two neighbors and sought out deals with countries around the world, including China.