A call between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday discussed the dispute over the Gordie Howe Bridge named after a famous Canadian hockey player. Trump previously demanded in a post that the United States obtain “half” of ownership of the bridge completed between the Canadian province of Ontario and the American state of Michigan.
Published on: 02/11/2026 - 03:53
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that he held a phone call Tuesday with US President Donald Trump, devoted to discussing a way out of the crisis sparked by Trump's threats to obstruct the opening of a new bridge linking the two countries.
Trump previously demanded in a post that the United States obtain “half” of ownership of the Gordie Howe Bridge being built between the Canadian province of Ontario and the American state of Michigan.
Carney addressed reporters in Ottawa, saying that he "spoke to the president this morning, and regarding the bridge, the situation will be resolved," without going into further details.
Regarding the financing and ownership of the project, Carney explained that Canada covered the construction costs, and that the bridge is jointly owned by the state of Michigan and the Canadian government.
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The start of work on the Gordie Howe Bridge, which bears the name of the late Canadian hockey player and Detroit Red Wings star, dates back to 2018, at a cost of $4.7 billion, with plans to open during this year.
However, Trump, who after returning to the White House had proposed the idea of annexing Canada as a fifty-first American state, hinted in a post on social media late Monday evening at the possibility of disrupting the opening of the bridge.
On the part of the White House, spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said on Tuesday that what is happening is “just another example of President Trump putting America’s interests first,” stressing that Trump “expressed this clearly in his call with Prime Minister Carney.”
Levitt said during a press conference that "Canada's control over everything that will cross the Gordie Howe Bridge and its ownership of the land on both sides is unacceptable to the president."
She also touched on Trump's other criticisms, as he accused Canada of using "almost" no American materials or products in the construction process.
Carney responded that he told Trump that “there is Canadian steel and Canadian workers, but there is also American steel and American workers involved in building the bridge.”
The Canadian Prime Minister did not address another striking claim made by Trump, which is that Beijing may ban Canadians from playing ice hockey if China concludes a trade agreement with Canada.
Trump's post on Monday said, "The first thing China will do is end all ice hockey games in Canada and cancel the Stanley Cup completely," referring to the National Hockey League's annual trophy.
France 24/AFP
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