The $4 Billion Gift Trump Won't Accept

Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke to his U.S. counterpart early Tuesday morning about the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which Donald Trump has threatened to block, explaining to him that Canadians paid for the bridge in full and that the Americans already have an ownership stake. Carney said he told Trump that the federal government paid some $4 billion to build the Windsor-Detroit bridge and that it was built with Canadian and U.S. workers and steel from both countries, despite the president's bogus claims that there was 'virtually no U.S. content' used during construction. While Trump said the federal government owns 'both the Canada and the United States side,' the bridge is, in fact, publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan. The Canada-Michigan Crossing Agreement, signed between the two jurisdictions in 2012, guarantees its joint, binational ownership despite Canada paying all upfront costs associated with construction. According to Ontario government data, the project has supported 12,670 jobs in Michigan, with more than 8,800 American labourers and tradespeople doing work on U.S. components of the 2.5-kilometre bridge. The New York Times reported that Matthew Moroun (owner of the competing Ambassador Bridge) met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Monday in Washington. After that meeting, Lutnick spoke with Trump by phone about the matter. Trump's threat came shortly afterward. Former Michigan governor Rick Snyder, a Republican who helped broker the deal, said: 'Canada was wonderful and financed the entire bridge. Michigan and the United States got their half-ownership with no investment. That is a great deal. If the GHIB is delayed or stopped, there actually is one big winner: The Maroun family and the Ambassador Bridge Company.'