An opening ceremony to commemorate a new bridge connecting the United States and Canada was canceled because of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy.
According to the AP and the British daily the Guardian on the 23rd (local time), the opening ceremony for the "Gordie Howe International Bridge," linking Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, was scheduled for the 24th. The plan was for key figures from both countries to meet in the middle of the bridge for a joint event to mark the opening.
However, the bridge opening ceremony, which had already been postponed once, was ultimately scrapped due to tariff tensions between the two countries.
Earlier this week, President Trump said the Canadian side discriminated against U.S.-made automobiles and liquor, and announced that 50% tariffs would be imposed on most Canadian products in 30 days.
Jenna Ghassabeh, Spokesperson for Canada's Infrastructure Ministry, said, "Given the U.S. side's tariff threats, it would be inappropriate for the two countries to hold a joint ceremony to commemorate the bridge opening."
Canada plans to hold its own event on the 24th to mark the bridge opening. It has not been confirmed whether the U.S. side will hold a separate ceremony. Officials from both countries expect the bridge to open on the 27th as scheduled, regardless of the cancellation of the opening ceremony.
Canada began building the 2.4-kilometer bridge on the condition that it would cover the construction expense and recoup the cost through future tolls. Funding for the bridge is estimated at $4.4 billion (about 6.5 trillion won).
The bridge is named after Gordie Howe, a Canadian hockey legend who played for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Gordie Howe International Bridge had been expected to become one of the key corridors for trade between the two countries.
However, tensions flared between the two countries after President Trump in February argued that the United States must own at least half of the bridge's equity and that he would block the bridge opening unless Canada met U.S. trade demands. The bridge is operated and managed by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, a Canadian state-owned corporation.
The two countries had initially planned to hold the bridge opening ceremony on the 12th of last month, but postponed it, citing technical issues. On the surface, technical problems were mentioned as the reason for the delay, but there had been analysis that Trump's influence was at play.
Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney, regarding the U.S. plan to impose tariffs, said, "We believe in the benefits of free and fair trade," adding, "We are ready to negotiate with the Trump administration."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford argued in a social media post, "If the United States imposes tariffs, Canada should retaliate with tariffs on tariffs."