Canada cancels joint US ceremony for new border bridge

Canada has cancelled plans for a joint inauguration ceremony with the United States for a new cross-border bridge after the United States threatened new tariffs on several Canadian products.

Canadian Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson said Tuesday evening that, in light of the trade action threatened by the United States earlier in the week, it would be inappropriate to hold a celebratory event between the two countries.

Instead of a joint event in late July, Ottawa said it would hold its own Canadian ceremony on July 24. The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic on July 27.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge links Ontario in Canada with Michigan in the United States. It has been a focus of Canada-US tensions for months during a trade war.

US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened to block the bridge's inauguration. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in June that it would open, before the date was postponed indefinitely because of what were described as technical issues with the United States. The opening date was confirmed on July 11.

A proposed agreement in principle published Tuesday evening says Canada will be required to make payments equal to 50 percent of the bridge's net revenue for 15 years. The payments would go to a United States-Canada Economic Development Fund established and solely controlled by the US government.

The bridge's financial management had already been a source of tension after Trump said in February that the United States should own at least half. Canada financed the construction in full.

The bridge is about 2.5 kilometres, or 1.6 miles, long. Construction began in 2018 and the total cost was CAN$6.4 billion, about US$4.5 billion.

Carney said Tuesday that he was prepared to examine all options for a possible response to the tariff threats.