DETROIT – A new report from the New York Times says the billionaire owner of the Ambassador Bridge met with the White House hours before President Trump threatened to block the opening of a new publicly owned bridge between Detroit and Canada.
The New York Times says Matthew Moroun, whose family has owned the Ambassador Bridge for decades, met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Monday, hours before Trump’s social media post threatening to block the opening of the newly construction Gordie Howe International Bridge.
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Since the initial planning for the Gordie Howe Bridge, dating back to 2012, the Moroun family has been against the building of a new bridge, a push that included legal action.
The Gordie Howe is owned by Michigan and Canada, but is being paid for almost entirely by Canada. The bridge does not have an official opening date, though it is expected to open to traffic this year. Construction started in 2018.
Trump took to Truth Social on Monday, slamming Canada for what he called unfair trade deals, and threatened to block the opening of the bridge until “the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given” Canada.
“We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” Trump said.
As part of the deal between Canada and Michigan, Canada is financing the majority of the construction for the bridge, which is nearly $4.5 billion. Canada intends to recoup the money through toll revenues once the bridge opens. The bridge is expected to have a big impact on Michigan’s economy.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge would be the third border crossing between Detroit and Windsor, serving one of North America’s busiest trade corridors.